Evaluation of Bearing Grinding Fluids

Grinding tests and trials on production equipment is a most expensive proposition. The expense is not only with respect to the monetary cost, but also the down time associated with interrupting a production line to make special runs and set-ups. That high cost is generally the reason given why not to conduct production grinding tests. Testing is more easily justified in a laboratory environment, however the testing can become “clinical” such that it is far removed from the real world of production grinding and the results are often unrealistic. It has been the object of this project to target an industry and simulate, as closely as possible, a production grinding environment, in the laboratory, to encompass all of the realism of bearing production but with quick-changeover features that allow frequent and accurate adjustments to the process with respect to the set-up but moreover, the grinding fluid. The end result is test data that is meaningful, directly relevant, acceptable and understandable to the industry. It has also provided a platform for further investigative work with respect to the surface texture produced by certain fluid chemistries.