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AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts, a Massachusetts corporation
InventorsStephen Malkin, Robert Gao, Changsheng Guo, Biju Varghese, Sumukh Pathare
Estimating the term…
A grinding wheel system includes a grinding wheel with at least one embedded sensor. The system also includes an adapter disk containing electronics that process signals produced by each embedded sensor and that transmits sensor information to a data processing platform for further processing of the transmitted information.
A grinding wheel system, comprising:
A grinding wheel system, comprising:
An adapter disk that processes signals produced by at least one sensor embedded in a grinding wheel, the adapter disk comprising
A computer program, disposed on a computer readable medium, that analyzes data acquired via sensors embedded in a grinding wheel, the computer program comprising instructions that cause a processor to:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
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Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: using digital processors
Processes of grinding or polishing
Measuring or gauging equipment for controlling the feed movement of the grinding
Bonded abrasive wheels, or wheels with inserted abrasive blocks, designed for acting
Term end not estimated
The invention relates to grinding wheels.
Grinding is a widely used precision machining process, accounting for over 20% of all machining processes in the manufacturing industry. Referring to FIG. 1, one type of grinding process employs a rapidly spinning grinding wheel 10 bonded with abrasive materials 12 (e.g., diamond abrasive particles in a resin, vitreous, or metallic bond). The wheel 10 grinds workpiece 14 moving slowly underneath the wheel 10.
Ceramic materials such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, and zirconia are hard, low density materials with high wear resistance and the ability to withstand high temperatures. Grinding is often used to machine ceramic workpieces and workpieces made of other materials into their final shape. Costs associated with grinding include the cost of preparing a wheel (e.g., wheel truing and dressing).
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a grinding wheel.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of a grinding wheel system.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of sensor placement on a grinding wheel.
Referring to FIG. 2, a grinding wheel system 16 includes a grinding wheel core 18 (e.g., a reusable aluminum core) coated by an abrasive material 12. The wheel core 18 includes embedded sensors (see e.g., FIG. 3) such as force and/or acoustic emission (AE) sensors. A removable adapter disk 24 attached to the wheel core 18 houses electronics that process sensor signals and transmit (e.g., via wireless transmission) the processed signals to the data processing platform 25 for analysis. A removable dummy disk 26 balances the weight of adapter disk 24. As shown, shaft 32 supported by fork 30 rotates grinding wheel 18. Rotation of wheel 18 may be electronically controlled by adapter disk 24 or data processing platform 25. Other systems of shafts and forks can be used.
Aspects of this system are described in S. Pathare, R. Gao, B. Varghese, C. Guo, and S. Malkin, “A DSP-Based Telemetric Data Acquisition System for In-Process Monitoring of Grinding Operation,” I.E.E.E. Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, May 1998; S. Malkin, R. Gao, C. Guo, B. Varghese, and S. Pathare, “Development of an Intelligent Grinding Wheel for In-Process Monitoring of Ceramic Grinding”, Semi-Annual Report #1, May 1997, available on-line at http://www.doe.gov/bridge.
Sensor Construction and Placement