Surface Integrity Evolution in Grinding by means of In-Process Eddy Current Inspections

The in-process detection of grinding burns has earned considerable interest from both researchers and industries in recent years. Various Non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies, including Eddy Current (EC), Barkhausen Noise (BN), and Acoustic Emission sensors (AE), have been employed to address this issue, yielding successful results for specific applications. However, a comprehensive understanding of burn generation and its prevention in grinding operations remains an area of interest that has not yet been fully resolved.

This paper focuses on investigating the electromagnetic response of a custom-made EC sensor applied to UNE F-522 (AISI 01) steel during in-process inspections. Experimental grinding tests have been performed using a special EC inspection head installed in the grinding machine. The impedance change of the material during grinding is discussed in terms of the machine out-puts (Power consumption) and other grinding variables, such as number of passes, the roughing stock removal, and the finishing strategy. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed EC technology not only enables the detection of burns, but also enhances comprehension of the surface integrity changes occurring during the grinding process.