The grinding wheel system of the external cylindrical grinder serves as the core execution unit for material removal and surface processing, and its performance directly determines the machining accuracy, surface quality, and production efficiency of the workpiece. A deep understanding of the technical key points of the grinding wheel system and exploration of optimization directions is the key path to improving the machining capability of external cylindrical grinders.

The material and characteristic parameters of the grinding wheel are the core points of the system. Common grinding wheel materials include corundum, silicon carbide, diamond, and cubic boron nitride (CBN), and different materials are suitable for different processing scenarios. Corundum grinding wheels are suitable for grinding tough materials such as steel, while silicon carbide grinding wheels are more suitable for brittle materials such as cast iron and hard alloys; Diamond and CBN grinding wheels are commonly used for precision grinding of superhard materials due to their high hardness and wear resistance. The particle size, hardness, microstructure, and type of binder of the grinding wheel also affect the machining effect: fine-grained grinding wheels can achieve high surface smoothness but low cutting efficiency, while coarse-grained grinding wheels have the opposite effect; The hardness needs to match the material of the workpiece. If it is too hard, it can easily cause burns to the workpiece, while if it is too soft, the grinding wheel will wear out quickly. In addition, the choice of binder determines the strength and durability of the grinding wheel. Ceramic binders are suitable for high-speed grinding, while resin binders have good self sharpening properties.

Grinding wheel dressing technology is a key link in maintaining grinding performance. As the grinding process progresses, the abrasive particles on the surface of the grinding wheel will gradually wear and passivate, leading to an increase in grinding force and temperature, which affects the machining quality. By trimming, the wear layer can be removed, restoring the profile accuracy and cutting ability of the grinding wheel. The commonly used dressing methods include single point diamond dressing, roller dressing, and electric discharge dressing. Single point diamond dressing has high flexibility and is suitable for contour dressing of various types of grinding wheels; High efficiency of roller trimming, suitable for mass production; Electric spark dressing is aimed at superhard abrasive grinding wheels and achieves dressing through discharge erosion. During the dressing process, the motion parameters of the dressing tool (such as feed rate and dressing depth) need to be precisely controlled to ensure that the microstructure of the grinding wheel surface after dressing meets the machining requirements.

The balance accuracy of the grinding wheel directly affects the stability of the grinding process. If there is an imbalance in the high-speed rotating grinding wheel, centrifugal force will be generated, causing vibration and resulting in problems such as vibration patterns and increased roundness errors on the surface of the workpiece. Grinding wheel balance is divided into static balance and dynamic balance. Static balance is mainly aimed at low-speed grinding wheels, and the center of gravity offset is eliminated by adjusting the position of the balance block; Dynamic balancing is suitable for high-speed grinding wheels and requires simulating actual working conditions on a dynamic balancing machine to detect and correct unbalance. In addition, an online automatic balancing system is adopted to monitor and compensate for the unbalanced state of the grinding wheel in real time, further improving machining accuracy and stability.

In the future, the optimization direction of grinding wheel systems will focus on intelligence and greenization. Develop adaptive dressing technology, monitor the wear status of grinding wheels in real time through sensors, and automatically adjust dressing parameters; Research on new environmentally friendly binders and abrasives to reduce energy consumption and pollution during the grinding process; Explore the deep integration of intelligent balancing systems and numerical control technology, achieve intelligent management of the entire lifecycle of grinding wheel systems, and promote the development of cylindrical grinding technology to a higher level.