Constant force truing and dressing apparatus and method

Abstract

Both an apparatus and method for truing and dressing a grinding wheel with a constant tangentially dressing force is provided. The apparatus includes a rotatable diamond dressing roll, an engagement assembly including a servo-motor for forcefully engaging the dressing roll against the peripheral work surface of the grinding wheel, a sensor for sensing the force of engagement between the dressing roll and the grinding wheel, and a microprocessor connected to both the sensor and the power supply for the servo-motor for modulating both the voltage and polarity of a DC current connected to the servo-motor so that the engagement assembly presses the diamond dressing roll against the grinding wheel with a constant force during the entire dressing operation. Both the apparatus and method are particularly adapted for truing and dressing of hard, high density silicon carbide grinding wheels and advantageously protract the life span of the diamond dressing roll while truing and dressing the grinding wheel to tighter tolerances.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.