The Grinding Doc's
High Intensity Grinding Course
23rd, 24th & 25th May 2011
Host: Greenlee Diamond Tool
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey A. Badger, The Grinding Doc

"A completely different way of thinking about grinding."

 
 
 
Overview:
Goals: Through a combination of lectures, group brainstorming sessions and demonstrations, attendees will learn concepts in grinding and five Key Analysis Tools which will enable them to go into any grinding situation, analyze it and develop strategies to make significant, long-term improvements in quality and reduction in cycle time.

Supporting Material: Each attendee will receive The Book of Grinding, 1500 pages of educational and reference material, along with a CD containing The Grinder's Toolbox, a program for calculating optimum grinding, dressing and cooling parameters.

 
 
 
Schedule
Sunday, 22nd May
 
    7:00 — 9:00   For those who arrive early, we will have a casual cocktail in the hotel bar.
 
Day 1: Monday, 23rd May
 
    08:15 — 08:45   Registration
08:45 — 09:30   Introduction of Instructor, attendees, format of course, goals, what to expect.
09:30 — 10:30   Fundamentals of conventional abrasives. Grinding wheel constituents: grit, bond & porosity; modes of contact: cutting, rubbing & plowing; wheel wear: attritious wear, grit fracture & bond fracture; grinding forces; wear flats & grinding forces; wheel specification: grit types, friable vs. tough, angular vs. blocky, micro- vs. macro-fracture; wheel grade; wheel structure.
10:45 — 11:30   Heat Generation, material-removal rate; "Q-prime"; specific energy; forces & heat generation; heat generation & temperature.
  10:30 — 10:45   Coffee Break.
11:30 — 11:45   Key Analysis Tool 1: Measuring Power; process monitoring with The Grindometer.
  11:45 — 12:00   Grindometer Demonstration.
  12:00 — 1:00   Lunch.
13:00 — 13:05   G-ratio, measurement, relationship to "grindability".
13:05 — 13:20   Wheel wear; Key Analysis Tool 2: The No-Dress Test: Using it to evaulate the grinding cycle, determine whether the wheel is blunting or self-sharpening, and to determine dressing amount.
13:20 — 14:00   Thermal damage and "grinding burn" in ferrous materials, Inconels, nickel alloys, tungsten-carbide and ceramic materials.
14:00 — 14:10   Dressing overview
14:10 — 14:30   Single-point, cluster and blade dressing: dressing lead, overlap ratio, wheel sharpness, rough-dressing vs. finish-dressing, using mixed dressing to reduce cycle times.
14:30 — 14:45   Plunge-roll dressing and diamond-disc dressing: speed ratio, effective plunge depth, dwell time, effect on power, surface finish, cause of significant burn.
  14:45 — 15:00   Coffee Break.
  15:00 — 16:00   Group Assignment 1: Measuring wheel wear via The No-Dress Test, using power to analyse self-sharpening vs. dulling, wheel grade and its effect on power, calculating dressing parameters to determine wheel sharpness.

19:00 — 21:00   Group Dinner. Spouses welcome.

 
Day 2: Tuesday, 24th May
 
    08:30 — 08:40   Review of Day 1.
08:40 — 09:45   Cooling. An in-depth session. Pressure vs. velocity, breaking the air barrier, nozzle design, nozzle aim, shoe type, orifice area & flowrate, how to measure, pressure drop, pump power requirements, nozzle sizing; main arc-of-cut cooling vs. cooling to reduce oxidation burn; calculating required pressure, velocity, orifice area & pump size.
09:45 — 10:15   Cooling Case Studies. Real-life situations where coolant application was improved and the benefits. Also, how to measure improvements to the cooling system via The No-Dress Test and Power Monitoring.
  10:15 — 11:00   Group Assignment 2: Cooling. Determining outlet pressure. Measuring velocity via The Ol' Bucket-&-Stopwatch Technique.
  10:30 — 10:45   Coffee Break.
  10:45 — 12:00   Group Assignment 3: Cooling. Cooling for oxidation burn vs. genuine thermal damage. Choosing nozzle sizes. Calculating pump size.
  12:00 — 14:00   Open two-hour lunch at any of the local restaurants.
14:15 — 14:50   Fundamentals of Superabrasives. Difference between wear of superabrasives vs. conventional abrasives; "opening up" CBN wheels when grinding ferrous materials; "closing down" of diamond wheels when grinding of tungsten-carbide; basics of grit types, blocky vs. angular, friable vs. tough, concentration number, changes in wheel via dulling and cutting-point density; GE/Diamond Innovations designations, DeBeers/Element Six designations, Electroplated wheels and how power and surface finish change with time.
14:50 — 15:00   Dressing of superabrasives. Dressing CBN with diamond and dressing diamond and CBN with SiC/Al203 trueing device. Wheel sticking. Common mistakes.
15:00 — 15:10   Diamond dressing of CBN.
  15:10 — 15:35   Group Assignment 5: Superabrasives. Controlling how quickly a superabrasive wheel "opens up" via the choice in grinding parameters.
15:35 — 15:50   Key Analysis Tool 3: Aggressiveness, using it to find the "sweet spot" of a wheel, in tungsten-carbide grinding; in ceramic-grit/"SG" wheels.
  15:50 — 16:05   Coffee Break.
  16:05 — 16:45   Group Assignment 6: Aggressiveness. Determining optimum speeds & feeds for a diamond wheel on tungsten carbide.
  16:45 — 17:30   Group Assignment 7: Aggressiveness.Determining optimum speeds & feeds for a wheel with ceramic abrasive on hardened steel.
  17:30 — 18:00   Summary of Day 1 & Day 2. Questions/Answers.

Evening       No scheduled events. Dinner at a local pub or a quiet night studying and doing homework.

 
Day 3: Wednesday, 25th May
 
    8:30 — 8:40   Review of Day 1 & Day 2.
08:40 — 08:55   Loading: chemical loading and mechanical loading; uniqueness of stainless steel and nickel alloys on loading; how to reduce loading; using a cleaning nozzle to reduce loading.
08:55 — 09:10   Burr: causes; how to reduce it.
09:10 — 09:25   Chatter: Two types, forced & unforced; origins, how to pinpoint; how to reduce/eliminate. Changing workpiece RPM in cylindrical grinding to "obliterate" chatter.
09:25 — 09:45   Ceramic Abrasives: How they're different; how they fracture; how to find the "sweet spot" for ceramic abrasives; Cubitron vs. Norton SG; when to use them; economics.
  09:45 — 10:30   Group Assignment 8: Ceramic Abrasives.
  10:30 — 10:50   Coffee Break.
10:50 — 11:25   The Mountain of Burn. Understanding the speeds & feeds that give lowest temperatures and lowest risk of burn.
11:25 — 12:00   Key Analysis Tool 4: Cycle Mapping: A tool to analyze an entire process, gain an understanding of it and then develop strategies to improve it for the desired goal, be it cycle time, quality, wheel wear, etc.
  12:00 — 13:00   Lunch.
  13:00 — 14:15   Group Assignment 9: Cycle Mapping in multi-rib form grinding using Key Analysis Tools of Cycle Mapping, Aggressiveness and The No-Dress Test; developing strategies to reduce cycle time.
14:15 — 14:45   Economics and cost reduction.
14:15 — 14:45   Key Analysis Tool 5: The Grinder's Toolbox. Using it to determine speeds and feeds, Aggressiveness values, dressing parameters and cooling parameters.
  14:45 — 15:00   Coffee Break.
15:00 — 15:30   New developments in grinding. the latest high-tech developments; how practical are they; will they make it to real production.
15:30 — 15:45   Where to from here? Continued learning and education in grinding.
  15:45 — 16:00   Summary: Day 1, Day 2 & Day 3.
  16:15 — 16:30   Questions/Answers. Course evaluation. End of the course.
 
Subjects Not Covered in the Course but Given in the Course Material and available for individual discussion:
 
  Literature on Grinding
  Up-grinding vs. down-grinding
  Tungsten-Carbide Grinding
  Cylidrical, ID & OD Grinding, waviness, chatter, speed ratios, harmonics, overlap ratio, equivalant depth
  Grindability, G-ratio & Carbide Size in high-speed steel
  Surface finish & its effect on tool performance. Extensive section; surface finish, scratch direction, scratch depth, maximum carbide or defect size, Ra values, effect on tool fracture. Threshold on improved Ra values leading to better tool impact resistance.
  Temperature Models
  Continuous-dress Creep-feed Grinding on nickel alloys
  Intro to Grinding of Ceramics
  The World's Greatest Grinders
  Miscellaneous Reference Material
 
Optional Day 4: Thursday, 26th May
 
    I will be holding optional, individual sessions on the following specific topics and am also available for individual discussion on topics the attendee is facing in production:
 
    9:00 — 10:30   Grinding of aerospace materials – Inconels and continuous-dress creep-feed grinding.
    11:00 — 12:30   Tungsten-carbide grinding.
    2:00 — 3:30   Cylindrical grinding.

 
 
 
Cost
Meals included as listed in schedule, hotel & transporation not included.
  before 1st May 2011 after 1st May 2011
  1 attendee $1800 $1900
  2 attendees $1700 each $1800 each
  3+ attendees $1600 each $1700 each

 
 
 
Who Should Take the High Intensity Grinding Course:
  • People who already have some experience and knowledge in grinding.
  • People grinding steels, high-speed steels, carbide, nickel-based alloys and other metals.
  • People who want to develop an in-depth understanding of grinding from the ground up.
Examples of people who have taken the course:
  • A machine operator wanting to improve productivity and quality and reduce grinding costs.
  • A salesperson selling conventional and superabrasive grinding wheels.
  • An engineer at a coolant company wanting to better understand coolant application and his customers' grinding needs.
  • Manufacturer of solid-carbide cutting tools wanting to reduce cycle times.
  • Engineer at a machine shop grinding a bit of everything.
  • Engineer at a company producing aircraft components in nickel-based alloys.
  • Machine operator regrinding turbine blades.

 
 
 
Who Should NOT Take the High Intensity Grinding Course:
  • People who want a light overview of grinding. The Intense Course is for those who want an in-depth understanding of grinding from top to bottom
  • People with absolutely no grinding experience or knowledge.
  • People grinding only ceramics or aluminum.
  • People using only coated abrasives, or looking for information on honing, lapping, polishing or abrasive-jet machining.

 
 
 
Requirements:
  • You will be expected to take part in group discussions.
  • You must be capable of reading simple graphs and charts.
  • You must be capable of doing simple math and understanding basic equations.

 
 
 
Dr. Jeffrey Badger’s Biography:
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University
  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Trinity College, Dublin Ireland with a specialization in grinding
  • Has worked for numerous companies around the world in grinding, including the U.S., England, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, India, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Israel, Japan and Korea
  • Author of question/answer column “Ask The Grinding Doc” in the American magazine Cutting Tool Engineering
  • Works “in the trenches” (as opposed to in the lab) and has a practical, down-to-earth understanding of grinding
  • Emphasizes practice over theory
  • Is well known for his practical and useful seminars and educational courses in grinding
    Dr. Badger takes the "mystery" out of grinding and breaks the grinding process into a step-by-step form that can be applied to a continuous improvement program. With this newly acquired knowledge, we have already started to implement lessons learned from his presentation.

    Manufacturer of valves, Texas

 
 
 
Location and Host:
The host for this course is Greenlee Diamond Tool, a manufacturer of vitrified, resin and electroplated CBN and diamond wheels. Since my courses are non-commercial, Greenlee will get no “air time” to promote their products. They are just being gracious and hosting the course. However, Jim Long, President, and others will be on hand if you’d like to discuss with them during coffee breaks, etc. An optional tour of their production facilities will also be made available.

Previous hosts have been Rollomatic in Chicago, Blaser Swisslube in Switzerland, Erasteel in Paris and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.

 
 
 
Accommodation:
Holiday Inn, Elk Grove Village (1000 Busse Road//Elk Grove Village, IL 60007// 847-437-6010//847-434-1143 (fax)//www.hielkgrove.com). Special rate of $79 per night. Attendees are responsible for booking their own accommodation. Quote "Greenlee Diamond Tool", or "GDT". Rate valid three days before and three days after the course for those who want to stay longer in Chicago. Hotel has a free shuttle to/from airport and every day to/from the course.

 
 
 
Travel:
Fly to Chicago O’Hare airport. Greenlee Diamond Tool Company and Holiday Inn are both right next to O’Hare. Other questions regarding travel and accommodation: Contact Jim Long at Greenlee Diamond Tool Company, 847-258-8725.

 
 
 
FAQ:
Q:     Why should I attend your course and not somebody else’s?
A:     My course is practical and down to earth. You won’t get any fancy formulas or obscure grinding theory. You’ll come away with a no-nonsense, practical understanding of grinding. You'll also learn useful tools to help you analyze a grinding process. What’s more, I have nothing to promote and nothing to sell. You’ll hear about grinding, not about how great my company’s products are.
 
Q:     Any other reason?
A:     Yes, included in the course is the 1000-page course material. You will use this material long after the course is over. It contains useful reference information such as how to choose dressing parameters (dwell time, feed rates, etc.), tables showing the correct coolant pressure for a given wheel velocity, required pump power, the correct grit size for a required surface finish, the correct grit size for a given corner radius or thread pitch, etc.
 
Q:     Will I get bored in the course?
A:     This course is not for those who want to sit back and passively receive information. A large portion of the course is Group Assignments and Brainstorming Sessions, where you analyze a process in-depth. It's taxing to the brain. By the end of the day, you won't be bored, you'll be mentally fatigued.
 
Q:     My English is not perfect. Will I be able to follow along?
A:     Dr. Badger has lived and worked around the world and speaks standard, easy-to-understand English. If you are a competent English speaker you will have no trouble understanding him. Also, the course material is graphic heavy (not word heavy), meaning even those whose English is not perfect will be able to follow along without difficulty.
 
Q:     Have you given this course before?
A:     This is the tenth time Dr. Badger has given the High Intensity Grinding Course.
 
Q:     Should I bring my wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/children?
A:     Yes. Chicago is a fun town and there are lots of interesting things they can do while you are in the course.
 
Q:     Do I have to come to Chicago or can you do this course at my facility?
A:     Yes, I can do this course at your facility. This is often preferred for those who want me to discuss specific issues the company is facing.
 
Q:     I can't come to the course. May I buy the course material?
A:     Yes, it is available for $1800. You can order it via credit card below or email me for other arrangements. However, you will get far more out of it if you attend the course.
 
Q:     What have previous attendees said about the course?
A:     Some quotes from the last two courses.
    This is the best technical course I have ever taken, in any subject. It is very practical without getting too scientific.

    Boris — grinder of aircraft engines

    The Doc's course gave me an entirely new way to look at things.

    Jim — grinder of solid-carbide tools

    Far better than the grinding seminar took at the grinding-wheel company.

    Andy — Cylindrical Grinder

    The thing that I liked best about the Grinding Doc seminar was that you did not present yourself to us as a PhD. You understand that the people that you are teaching know their business and know about grinding. What you try to get through to us is your deep understanding of the grinding process itself, and how having a clearer vision of just how the process works at the level of the grit and the grain will help us to make better practical decisions on the shop floor. I have already employed some of the concepts from the course in our shop, and anticipate using many more in the coming months. This was a great course for learning practical grinding information – the only one that I have seen to this point.

    John Shegda — M&S Centerless Grinding

 
 
 
Signing Up
To sign up, you need to send Dr. Badger an email (JB@TheGrindingDoc.com) with 1) names, email addresses and phone numbers of attendees, 2) a description of the type of grinding attendee is doing (application, type of grinding, material, main issues encountered); and pay.

You can pay by (1) check: follow the instruction on the registration form; (2) Credit Card: click on the box below; and (3) bank transfer: email JB@TheGrindingDoc.com for details.