Thermal analysis of ultrasonic vibration-assisted gear form grinding: Computational modeling and experimental validation

Elevated temperatures during gear grinding readily induce workpiece surface quality degradation, diminished machining accuracy, and premature tool wear, consequently constraining processing efficiency and escalating manufacturing costs. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) technology, as a powerful thermal mitigation strategy, demonstrates considerable promise for enhancing grinding process stability and improving workpiece surface quality. However, a systematic understanding of the influence mechanism of UVAG on the grinding temperature field and its efficacy optimization in gear machining remains inadequately supported by current theoretical and experimental investigations. To address this gap, this study establishes a theoretical model for the temperature field in gear ultrasonic vibration-assisted form grinding (G-UVAG). The model combines a triangular distribution of heat flux density with the unique characteristics of UVAG. The model incorporates the modulation mechanism of ultrasonic vibration on heat flux distribution, thereby enabling a more precise characterization of the transient heat field in the grinding zone. The findings reveal excellent agreement between the flank temperature predicted by the model and experimentally measured values. In contrast to conventional grinding (CG) methods, the G-UVAG technique achieves a reduction of up to 40 % in the maximum temperature observed within the grinding zone. The deviation among simulation and experimental results is constrained within 9.8 % for CG and 12 % for G-UVAG. Furthermore, G-UVAG effectively diminishes the heat-affected zone depth, shortens the duration of the temperature peak within the tooth flank contact zone, and accelerates both the heating and cooling rates. Analysis indicates that ultrasonic vibration not only promotes a more homogeneous distribution of the grinding heat source but also effectively mitigates the risks of thermally induced deformation and surface burn by suppressing localized temperature spikes. This study establishes an essential theoretical basis for precision gear grinding while broadening the application avenues of UVAG technology to support the realization of efficient and high-quality gear production.