Simulation to Microtopography Formation of CBN Active Abrasives on a Honing Wheel Surface

Abstract

The microtopography of a honing wheel surface composed of active abrasive grains is the key factor affecting the honing characteristics, and control of it is a sufficient condition to realize high-efficiency precision honing. Based on the magnetron sputtering method and phase field method, a theoretical model of cubic boron nitride (CBN) coating formation on a honing wheel surface is established. The physical vapor deposition (PVD) discrete phase field equation is solved by the finite difference method. A MATLAB program is compiled to simulate the formation process and micromorphology of the CBN coating on the honing wheel surface. A Taguchi method is designed to study the relationships of the sputtering time, substrate temperature, gas flow rate, and reaction space with the number of active abrasives and the length, width, height, and size of the abrasives. The simulation results are highly similar to the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations, which shows that the model can accurately and effectively simulate the abrasive morphology of the wheel surface under different process conditions and provide a theoretical basis for the prediction and control of the CBN wear morphology on a honing wheel surface.