High infeed rate method for grinding ceramic workpieces with silicon carbide grinding wheels

A method for grinding a workpiece formed from one of the group consisting of zirconia, silicon nitride and other ceramics having Knoop hardness of 1000-1,100 kg/mm2, including the steps of

• forming a grinding wheel with a peripheral work surface including abrasive particles of Knoop hardness on the order of 2,800 kg/mm2 embedded in a matrix of bonding material of medium (P) to low (S) porosity having a Knoop hardness of 600 Kg/mm2 or less;
• rotating the grinding wheel at an angular rate sufficient to cause the peripheral work surface to obtain a speed of at least 20 meters/second;
• and
• advancing the peripheral work surface of the grinding wheel into grinding engagement with the workpiece at an in-feed rate of at least 0.01 mm/second to form workpiece particles to cause erosion of bonding material to expose the cutting portion of the embedded grinding particles.