The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-020-05753-5

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Mechanical and thermal effects of abrasive cut-off applied in low

and medium carbon steels using aluminum oxide cutting disc
José Claudio Lopes 1 & Fernando Sabino Fonteque Ribeiro 2 & Rafael Liberatti Javaroni 1 & Mateus Vinicius Garcia 1 &
Carlos Eiji Hirata Ventura 3 & Vicente Luiz Scalon 1 & Luiz Eduardo de Angelo Sanchez 1 & Hamilton José de Mello 1 &
Paulo Roberto Aguiar 4 & Eduardo Carlos Bianchi 1

Received: 13 February 2020 / Accepted: 10 July 2020

# Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract
Abrasive cutting is broadly applied to obtain structural and electromechanical parts for the industry, as well as metallographic
specimens for research laboratories. However, the literature about this process is still scarce, making further studies necessary.
Usually, the final quality of the obtained products plays a minor role in comparison to the costs associated with tool wear. In this
context, an experimental investigation of the abrasive cut-off operation of low and medium carbon steels, using aluminum oxide
discs with different feed rates (2.0, 3.4, and 4.6 mm/s), is reported. The cutting power, disc wear, and process temperature were
monitored and comprehensively evaluated. Besides, a computational simulation was developed for temperature prediction and
the results were compared with the experimental data. The disc surface was assessed through confocal and scanning electron
microscopies, and the chips were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Contrary to
what was expected, an increase of 130% in feed rate led to a decrease of approximately 57% in maximum temperature, and 84%
in diametrical wheel wear, improving process efficiency. On the other hand, the consumed cutting power increased by up to
127%. The proposed simulation model presented a high correlation with the experimental data and can be applied to predict and
prevent thermal damages to the parts.

Keywords Abrasive cut-off operation . Tool wear . Cutting zone temperature

* Eduardo Carlos Bianchi Hamilton José de Mello

eduardo.bianchi@feb.unesp.br hamilton.mello@unesp.br
José Claudio Lopes
Paulo Roberto Aguiar
claudio.lopes@unesp.br
paulo.aguiar@unesp.br
Fernando Sabino Fonteque Ribeiro
fernando.ribeiro@ifpr.edu.br 1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, São Paulo State University
Rafael Liberatti Javaroni “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Bauru campus, Bauru, São
rafael.javaroni@unesp.br Paulo 17033-360, Brazil

Mateus Vinicius Garcia 2

Department of Control and Industrial Processes, Federal Institute of
mateus.garcia@unesp.br Education Science and Technology of Parana, Jacarezinho campus,
Jacarezinho, Paraná, Brazil
Carlos Eiji Hirata Ventura
ventura@ufscar.br 3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of São
Vicente Luiz Scalon Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP 13565-905,
vicente.scalon@unesp.br Brazil
4
Luiz Eduardo de Angelo Sanchez Department of Electrical Engineering, São Paulo State University
luiz.sanchez@unesp.br “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Bauru campus, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil

1 Introduction
Abrasive cut-off consists of a cutting process used to separate
parts of a determined component employing an abrasive cut-
ting disc. It is not only applied in the industry but also in
laboratories to obtain samples for metallographic analyses [1].
For abrasive cutting operations, the numerous cutting
edges present in the abrasive grains generate higher rates of
deformation and heat, when compared with machining pro-
cesses with defined geometry [2]. The application of cutting
discs in the industrial sector requires high cutting and feed
speeds, resulting in elevated heat generation [3]. Excessive
heat in the contact region can lead to degradation in the resin-
oid disc bond, promoting higher tool wear. The application of
water-based cutting fluids is often ineffective in the abrasive
cut-off process since it can assist in the degradation process of
the bond [4]. Moreover, the cutting disc is rarely dressed in
industrial applications, which leads to an uneven cutting sur-
face [5].
Compared with other machining processes with undefined
geometry, such as cylindrical grinding, there is a clear lack of
research on the application of abrasive cutting discs. Recent
works propose thermal analysis in grinding [6], evaluations
about the type of abrasive and bond applied to grinding wheel
[7], development of new cutting fluids [8], grinding of
interrupted geometries [9], monitoring of machining condi-
tions [10], reduction of fluid consumption [11], cleaning of
the grinding wheel surface [12], and cooled compressed air
[13].
During a study on abrasive cutting, Yamasaka et al. [14]
mentioned the application of this kind of process with dia-
mond discs to obtain electromechanical parts from brittle ma-
terials, like alumina. In these cases, grinding accuracy should
be considered. Araujo et al. [15] observed not only loss of
linearity but also damages in the cutting edge of ceramics
when high values of feed rate and depth of cut were applied.
Bliznets and Bogdanovich [16] cut silicate glass with cut-off
discs and observed a dependence of the depth of the damaged
zone on the load applied during sectioning. An optimal load
value was found to minimize the affected region.
However, the final quality of the obtained part is usually
not relevant, but the costs associated with the tool wear rate,
which is commonly high. Bearing this in mind, knowledge
about process performance plays an essential role in enabling
the development of new cut-off discs and the application of
optimum cutting parameters. Nevertheless, few studies inves-
tigate the phenomena observed in this process, which is char-
acterized by the fast removal of a considerable volume of
material and high temperatures.
Thermal studies of cut-off operations are very complex
since they involve several undefined cutting edges at high
speeds and mechanisms such as the tool wear, which are di-
rectly influenced by the machining parameters [17].
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
Eshghy [18] determined distinct areas for thermal conduc-
tivity, with the cutting face of the disc and the sides of the
cutting disc, pointing out that 31% of the thermal energy was
removed by the chips, 18% by the environment, 50% by the
disc, and only 1% by the workpiece. However, other works
indicate a higher accumulation of heat in the workpiece. Hou
and Komanduri [5] developed a heat source model and calcu-
lated heat partition in cut-off operations. Instead of using the
apparent contact area, the authors used the real contact area,
only considering the interaction of the active cutting edges
with the workpiece. It was found that 60–75% of the heat goes
to the chip, 20–35% goes to the workpiece, and ~ 1% goes to
the abrasive disc. Thereby, the authors concluded that the
thermal softening of the disc bond should be attributed to
the heat coming from the adhered chips. Hintze and
Klingelhöller [19] simulated the cut-off operation of a carbon
fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) workpiece. They found that
the heat flux to the abrasive disc decreases with higher values
of feed rate and is dependent on the fiber direction, due to the
anisotropy of the thermal conductivity presented by this
material.
Kaczmarek [20] measured the temperature and evaluated
the grinding ratio in the cut-off operation of steel rods. The
author noted that a larger diameter combined with high inter-
action forces generated higher temperatures and lower values
of G-ratio and stated that these results are related to the disc
wear, which also produces a self-sharpening effect.
Neugebauer et al. [21] studied the impact of cut-off discs with
different abrasive grains on tool wear during cutting of mild
steel and concluded that cubical grits demonstrate the most
extended lifetime, resultant of its higher strength and adhesion
in the bond in comparison to splinter-shaped grits. Pereverzev
and Pimenov [22] investigated the influence of worn abrasive
grains on the radial grinding force through the development of
a mathematical model, which took the degree of dulling of the
abrasive grains into account.
Another important wear characteristic of the cut-off abra-
sive discs corresponds to wheel loading, also called as clog-
ging in the literature, which occurs when chips accumulate in
the space provided by bond pores and between abrasive
grains. It leads to an increase in friction, cutting forces, and
temperature. Bianchi et al. [23] investigated this phenomenon
during the grinding of different materials and observed that its
intensity depends on the material removal rate. The authors
emphasized that clogging can strongly influence the surface
quality, as it changes abrasive surface topography. Agarwal
[24] proposed a model to quantify disc clogging through im-
age processing and demonstrated that it could be reduced by
increasing feed speed and applying low values of depth of cut
and cutting speed. Schmaltz and König [25] made efforts to
explain wheel loading mechanisms after grinding low carbon
steel and verified that chip layers are formed on the abrasive
surface, which impairs chip flow and increases friction.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
Khudobin and Polyanskov [26] investigated the occurrence
of seizure due to mechanical and thermal loads during grind-
ing of steel and observed that it is mainly related to mechanical
and molecular effects between abrasive grains and workpiece
material. According to the authors, clogging and glazing can
be reduced by the application of coolants with a strong lubri-
cating effect. In abrasive cut-off of a high strength steel, Putz
et al. [27] modeled heat distribution by finite element method
and noted that high coolant flow rates improve heat dissipa-
tion and contribute to the decrease in temperature in the work-
piece, but it leads to an increase in grinding power, what was
explained by a local material hardening caused by temperature
variation. Ni et al. [4], considering the environmental and
health problems related to the abundant fluid application, in-
vestigated different eco-friendly water-based fluids in cutting
of medium carbon steel and observed that the water-based
fluid with surfactant provided the best results, increasing the
G-ratio and decreasing cutting tilt in comparison to dry cut-
ting. Sahu and Sagar [28] proposed the use of cut-off discs
with radial passages to supply coolant to the cutting zone.
With this solution, lower temperatures and higher grinding
ratios were obtained.
In this context, the present paper aims to investigate the cut-
off operation of two types of steel (AISI 1020 - low carbon
and AISI 1045 - medium carbon) with the application of an
aluminum oxide disc. The cutting power, disc wear, and pro-
cess temperature were monitored and comprehensively eval-
uated. Besides, a computational simulation with these same
steels was developed for temperature prediction, and the re-
sults were compared with the experimental data. The disc
surface was assessed through confocal and scanning electron
Fig. 1 Abrasive cut-off machine and detail of the experiment setup
microscopies, and the chips were analyzed with scanning elec-
tron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy.
2 Experimental procedure
Cut-off experiments of low and medium carbon steel work-
pieces (diameter of 30 mm) were carried out without coolant
in an Abrasive Disc Cutter Machine, produced by Motomil,
model Sc-100, with a maximum power of 1.5 kW and maxi-
mum rotation speed of 5400 rpm (Fig. 1). Together with the
machine, a feed system composed of a Nema 42 stepper motor
and a MA860H control driver was coupled, and the position
control of the disc was performed with the aid of the LabView
7.1 software.
New abrasive discs (diameter of 254 mm and 3 mm thick-
ness) of aluminum oxide in a resin matrix (hard binder) were
applied with a constant cutting speed of 70 m/s and three
levels of feed rate: 2.0 mm/s, 3.4 mm/s, and 4.6 mm/s. The
maximum reduction of the wheel diameter (1.6 mm) caused a
decrease of only 0.6% in the cutting speed and, therefore, was
neglected. To ensure the reliability of the results, each condi-
tion was tested five times, and average values and standard
deviation were used for analysis. To evaluate process perfor-
mance, temperature and grinding power were measured dur-
ing cutting, while the diametrical wheel wear and G-ratio
(volume of removed workpiece material per volume loss of
cutting disc) were obtained immediately after the operation by
a caliper rule.
The temperature was acquired by 3 thermocouples type K,
positioned inside the workpiece, with an acquisition rate of

200 Hz. The thermocouples 1, 2, and 3 were positioned at 5,
15, and 25 mm from the top surface of the part, respectively,
and at 5 mm from the cutting region (Fig. 1). The thermocou-
ples were connected to an analog module NI-9214, linked to
an acquisition board CDaq-9188, both from the National
Instruments company. The board was mounted in a personal
computer with the software Labview 7.1 and MatLab 2016a.
This method of temperature measurement was chosen due to
its advantages of simple construction, low cost [29], and reli-
ability of the results obtained when applied to abrasive pro-
cesses [30]. At the same time, the maximum grinding power
was obtained from the measurement of the voltage and current
of the machine’s electric motor by Hall-effect sensors. For
data acquisition and processing, a module Curvopower, con-
nected to an acquisition board National Instruments PCI-
6035EDAQ, was applied, which was also mounted in a per-
sonal computer with the software Labview 7.1.
The analyses of the disc’s cutting surface and the chips
were performed through scanning electron microscopy, using
a Carl Zeiss equipment, model EVO LS15, with magnifica-
tions up to × 1000. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS) analysis was carried out to find the chemical composi-
tion of the generated chips. Besides, the condition of the disc’s
cutting surface was observed through 3D images, obtained by
an Olympus confocal microscope, model LEXT OLS4100,
with × 100 magnification.
2.1 Simulation setup
The performance of numerical simulations about machining
processes presents serious difficulty due to many variables
involved in the process, such problems being even more ac-
centuated when it comes to machining by undefined geome-
try. The interaction between the various cutting edges with the
workpiece would result in particularly complex simulations
that would require computers and software with extremely
high processing capacity. In this way, the present simulation
aims at the thermal investigation of the workpiece, based on
temperatures acquired during the tests and proposing thermal
flows that can reproduce the actual condition of cutting with
abrasive discs.
The present simulation was carried out in the Comsol
Multiphysics 5.3 software, adopting the transient regime in
the software’s thermal analysis environment, represented by
the differential Eq. 1 [31].
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
     
∂T ∂ ∂T ∂ ∂T ∂ ∂T
ρ cp ¼ k þ k þ k ð1Þ
∂t ∂x ∂x ∂y ∂y ∂z ∂z
The physical and thermal properties of low carbon and
medium carbon steels applied in the simulations were collect-
ed from the Comsol Multiphysics 5.3 software database, as
shown in Table 1.
The thermal fluxes were applied to the contact regions ev-
ery second, respecting the cutting time for each feed speed.
The geometry adopted for the application of thermal fluxes
considered the intermediate cutting position, where the cutting
disc was 15 mm deep, as shown in Fig. 2.
From Fig. 2, it is possible to identify distinct regions with
different surface conditions. The real contact area is given by the
contacts between the abrasive grains and the workpiece [5].
However, the high speeds in which the abrasive grains pass
through the workpiece allow the apparent contact region to be
considered a total area of thermal flux, similar to that applied by
Eshghy [18]. The convection surface represents the outer region
of the material to be cut and in which the heat exchange occurs
for an environment at Ta = 25 °C and estimated from a com-
bined heat transfer coefficient of h = 20 W/(m2 K). There are
also two regions where constant heat flow is established due to
the energy produced by the removal of material and friction. On
the cutting face, called “max. heat flux-region”, the material
removal effect predominates. The rate of thermal energy gener-
ation is more intense and is represented by qmax″. In the region
called “min. heat flux-region”, the friction effects between the
disc and the part predominate, and its heat flow is represented by
qmin″. For this work, it was adopted that qmin″ represents 10% of
the energy of qmax″ for the feed rates of 2.0 and 3.4 mm/s, and
5% of qmax″ for the feed rate of 4.6 mm/s. The estimation of
thermal flows in each region was carried out by solving the
problem of inverse heat transfer to represent the behavior of
the thermocouples used over the time of the tests.
3 Results and discussion
3.1 Temperature
3.1.1 Experimental analysis
Figure 3 shows the maximum temperature reached in the cut-
off operations, measured by the Thermocouple 2 (located at

Table 1 Properties of materials

applied to the simulation Property Low carbon steel (AISI 1020) Medium carbon steel (AISI 1045)

Density (ρ) 7900 kg/m3 7850 kg/m3

Thermal conductivity (k) 47 W/(m K) 49,8 W/(m K)
Specific heat (cp) 420 J/(kg K) 486 J/(kg K)
Thermal expansion coefficient (α) 1*10−5/K 1*10−5/K
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
Fig. 2 Workpiece and regions to boundary conditions
the center of the workpiece, 5 mm from the cutting interface)
for each material and cutting condition.
From Fig. 3, it can be observed a similar trend towards a
reduction in temperature with an increase in the feed rate for
both materials. The rise in the feed rate from 2.0 to 3.4 m/s and
4.6 m/s led to temperature reductions of 45% and 57%,
respectively.
According to Malkin and Guo [32], in cut-off grinding, the
maximum chip thickness occurs in the middle of the cut and
does not depend on contact length, which varies during disc
penetration. Moreover, it increases with feed rate and de-
creases with cutting speed in the same proportion. Larger chip
thicknesses obtained by higher values of feed rate not only
increase mechanical load but also facilitate material removal,
reducing the effects of friction and plowing during the pro-
cess. Also, Rodriguez et al. [33] report that a high temperature
of the cutting zone combined with thin chips increase the
flash-butt-welding process, which in turn substantially
Fig. 3 Maximum temperature 400
350
Max. Temperature (°C)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2.0
Feed rate (mm/s)
Low carbon steel
increases the clogging of the abrasive tool. The high cutting
temperature causes a decrease in the mechanical strength of
the bond and the abrasive grits of the disc, which shortens the
tool life, negatively impacting the productivity and efficiency
of the cutting process.
Thus, the reduction in temperature due to the rise of the
feed rate can be justified by the increase of chip thickness
and the lower disc clogging. Besides, the temperature is
also affected by the higher motion speed of the heat source,
related to how fast the abrasive disc comes through the
workpiece, decreasing the period available to the heat to
propagate [34].
The difference in cutting temperatures between the low and
medium carbon steels can be justified by the ductility of these
materials. The low carbon steel is more ductile than the medi-
um one, and, therefore, more significant deformation occurs
during its cutting, which in turn dissipates more energy in the
form of heat, increasing the cutting temperature.
3.4 4.6
Medium carbon steel

Fig. 4 a Simulation of the low carbon steel, 2.0 mm/s feed rate, and b Heat flux results for the analyzed parameters
Therefore, the use of higher feed rates produced better re-
sults regarding the cutting temperature for the machining con-
ditions of this study.
3.1.2 Simulation analysis
Figure 4 presents the simulation of the thermal gradient ob-
tained for the most severe condition, of low carbon steel with a
feed rate of 2.0 mm/s (Fig. 4a), and the thermal flows for each
cutting condition (Fig. 4b).
The thermal fluxes for cutting the low carbon steel were
higher in comparison to the medium carbon steel, following
the same trend of the temperatures measured experimentally.
The correlation between the maximum thermal flux of the
cutting region and the thermal flow of the lateral area of the
disc, applied in the software environment, indicates that de-
spite the small proportion of qmin″ concerning qmax″, the ther-
mal flux from friction contributes in part to the heating of the
workpiece.
The maximum temperatures obtained in the simulation for
the cutting process of the low carbon steel were 802.5 °C,
Fig. 5 Simulated and experimental temperatures of thermocouples 1, 2, and 3 with a feed rate of 2.0 mm/s
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
605.3 °C, and 479.5 °C, for the feed rates of 2.0, 3.4, and
4.6 mm/s, respectively. For the medium carbon steel, the max-
imum temperatures were 562.0 °C, 402.8 °C, and 317.4 °C,
for the feed rates of 2.0, 3.4, and 4.6 mm/s, respectively. It is
important to note that these are the temperatures calculated at
the cutting interface. To simulate the temperatures reaching
the thermocouples, which are positioned at 5 mm from this
region, thus allowing the comparison with the data obtained
experimentally, the software uses these maximum tempera-
tures, the properties of the materials, and the thermal flows.
Figure 5 shows the comparison between the temperature
values obtained experimentally and through the computation-
al simulation for the most severe condition (feed rate of
2.0 mm/s).
From Fig. 5, it can be observed a heating trend in the
simulated points very similar to that obtained experimentally.
The behavior of the temperature in the three thermocouples,
reflected in the thermal flows, indicates that the increase in the
feed rate benefits the reduction of the heat in which the work-
piece is exposed since there is less time for thermal conduction
to other regions.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Fig. 6 Cutting power 1600

1400

Cutting power (W)

1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2.0 3.4 4.6
Feed rate (mm/s)
Low carbon steel Medium carbon steel

According to the simulation, for the low carbon steel in the and 4.6 m/s led to temperature reductions of 45.2% and
thermocouple 2, the rise in the feed rate from 2.0 to 3.4 m/s 56.7%, respectively; and 44.45% and 58.46% for the medium

Fig. 7 Confocal 3D and 2D images, respectively: a intact surface of the cutting disc, b clogged surface after cutting low carbon steel with a feed rate of
2 mm/s

Fig. 8 SEM images of cutting discs’ abrasive surfaces: a schematic view;
b schematic of analyzed sample; c before cutting; d low carbon steel; vf =
2.0 mm/s; e low carbon steel, vf = 3.4 mm/s; f low carbon steel, vf =
carbon steel under the same conditions, very similar to the
experimental results in both cases. The same patterns could
be observed in thermocouples 1 and 3 for both materials, with
even minor variations between simulated and experimental
temperatures. Moreover, the highest temperatures occurred
in thermocouple 2, located at the center of the workpiece,
where there is the largest contact area between the workpiece
and the cutting disc. Temperatures in thermocouple 1 were
higher than those in thermocouple 3, due to the longer contact
time between the workpiece and the tool in the region of the
Fig. 9 a Diametrical wheel wear. b G-ratio
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
4.6 mm/s; g medium carbon steel, vf = 2.0 mm/s; e medium carbon
steel, vf = 3.4 mm/s; f medium carbon steel, vf = 4.6 mm/s
former regarding the latter. Finally, it was observed that the
maximum temperature obtained was directly linked to the
cutting time, and the longer the time, the higher the tempera-
ture. Since the diameter of the part was 30 mm in all tests, the
three feed rates generated different machining times and, con-
sequently, different heating times (15, 8.8, and 6.5 s for feed
rates of 2.0, 3.4, and 4.6 mm/s, respectively), which justifies
the highest temperatures observed with the lowest feed rate.
Therefore, it is shown that the utilization of the apparent
contact area for a thermal simulation can represent the regions
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
of thermal flow and predict the process temperatures with
reasonable accuracy, making possible its application to predict
and avoid thermal damage to parts.
3.2 Cutting power, disc wear, and microscopic
analyses
Figure 6 shows the power consumed by the cut-off operations
for each material and feed rate.
According to Fig. 6, for the low carbon steel, raising the
feed rate from 2.0 to 3.4 and 4.6 mm/s led to an increase in
cutting power by 26% and 127%, respectively. For the medi-
um carbon steel, the feed rate variation from 2.0 to 3.4 mm/s
and 4.6 mm/s increased the cutting power by 42% and 117%,
respectively.
The increase of the feed rate, which seems to be a positive
influence regarding process temperature, however, also causes
an increase in the maximum power measured during the op-
eration. The mechanical load increases because of kinematic
reasons (larger chip thickness resultant from a higher feed
rate) and due to an increase in the total force caused by a
higher number of active cutting edges. Deeper penetration of
abrasive grains with large protrusions enables that grains with
lower protrusions get in touch with the material [35].
Another point to note is that the cutting temperature direct-
ly influences the ductility of the material, which in turn alters
Fig. 10 Obtained chips after cut-off of low carbon steel: a vf = 2.0 mm/s, b vf = 4.6 mm/s
its tensile strength [36]. With the higher feed rate, the process
temperature was lower (Fig. 3), reducing the material soften-
ing by heating, i.e., the workpiece maintained its mechanical
strength, leading to increased power required to perform the
cutting.
The higher power required for cutting the medium carbon
steel compared with the low carbon steel can be justified by its
higher mechanical resistance, which implies higher forces to
achieve the rupture stress of this material and, consequently,
more consumed power.
Another important reason for the variation of cutting power
is related to the evolution of the abrasive disc surface during
the process. To perform this analysis, confocal and scanning
electron microscopies images were taken, as can be seen in
Figs. 7 and 8, respectively.
According to Figs. 7 and 8, wheel wear is mainly charac-
terized by the occurrence of adhesion, i.e., clogging, a conse-
quence of the high ductility of the machined materials, and
significant thermal loads. Higher temperatures caused by the
reduction of chip thickness (lower feed rates) increase the
trend of the material to adhere to the abrasive surface. This,
in turn, increases friction and temperature again, producing
damages in the bond material and intensifying the loss of
abrasive grains, which explains the decrease in wheel diameter
during cutting (Fig. 9a) and the exposition of new sharp grains
with lower feeds, what can have contributed to lower power

values. On the other hand, the reduction of temperature with
higher feed values diminishes the release of worn grains from
the abrasive surface, increasing cutting inefficiency and grind-
ing power. Thus, an increase in feed rate causes a decrease in
diametral wheel wear and a consequent rise in the G-ratio
(Fig. 9b), as a smaller volume of the cut-off abrasive wheel
is lost during the removal of the same amount of the work-
piece material.
In this case, the measured power has an opposite trend in
comparison to the temperature and it cannot be affirmed that
most of the consumed energy produces heat. It is reinforced
by the higher temperature and lower maximum power of low
carbon in comparison to medium carbon steel. This leads to
the fact that, in the studied range, a faster cut-off operation
contributes to the reduction of thermal effects. The trend
should change if the mechanical load becomes the main
influencing factor on disc wear.
Through the analysis of the chip morphology, it is possible
to obtain qualitative information regarding the temperature at
which the process was performed [37]. In cutting processes,
most of the generated heat is removed by the chips (80–95%),
Fig. 11 Chip SEM with EDS
analysis
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
while the remainder is taken away by the tool and workpiece
[38]. In this context, the chips generated in each cut-off oper-
ation were assessed through the scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) technique. Figure 10 shows SEM images of chips gen-
erated in the cut-off operations of low carbon steel, with feed
rates of 2.0 and 4.6 mm/s.
The chip shape of both materials has similar characteristics
and can also demonstrate the effect of thermal loads during the
cut-off operation of steels. Higher temperatures caused by
decreased feed rates lead to a higher concentration of hollow
ball-shaped chips (Fig. 10a), formed due to the melting of the
removed material [33]. This observation is in agreement with
that reported by Hou and Komanduri [5], indicating that the
chip removes most of the heat generated during abrasive cut-
ting processes.
When cutting with a higher feed rate, the operation time
was reduced and, consequently, the temperature was lower,
resulting in fewer spherical chips. Besides, the presence of
long strips and band-shaped chips, with shear characteristics,
was observed in this condition (Fig. 10b). The presence of
longer and thicker chips during the process reduces the wear
Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Table 2 Chemical composition of a spherical chip generated in the cut-off of low carbon steel with a feed rate of 2.0 mm/s

Element CK OK Na K Al K Si K Cr K Fe K Ni K Total
Weight (%) 25.81 12.28 0.45 1.64 10.82 0.32 48.28 0.40 100.00

rate of the tool, as previously indicated since chip adhesion is
diminished.
The chips were also evaluated with energy-dispersive X-
ray spectroscopy. Figure 11 shows the EDS image of a spher-
ical chip, generated in the cut-off of low carbon steel with a
feed rate of 2.0 mm/s, and Table 2 presents its chemical
composition.
It can be observed that the chip has a high concentration of
iron and little carbon, which is compatible with the composi-
tion of the low carbon steel. Thus, no evidence of abrasive
grains adhered to the ball-shaped chips was found in the EDS
analysis, implying that the chips did not carry abrasive grains
during their formation.
Still comparing both materials, not only higher tempera-
tures and lower power values can be noted for the low carbon
steel, but also higher diametral wheel wear and lower G-ratio.
It can be explained by the higher ductility of the low carbon
steel in comparison to the medium carbon steel, which tends
to cause more adhesion and intensify the wear mechanism.
These results corroborate the analysis of Shaw [21] and
Jackson et al. [22], who stated that materials that tend to bond
to the abrasive wheel surface lead to a reduction of the G-ratio.
Figure 12 presents the comparison between the evaluated
output parameters: maximum temperature, cutting power, di-
ametrical wheel wear.
From Fig. 12, it can be seen that the increase in the feed rate
led to decreases in maximum temperature and diametrical
wear and to an increase in cutting power and G-Ratio, as
discussed throughout this section.
4 Conclusions
From the obtained results, it can be concluded that:
& The increase of 130% in the feed rate (2.0 to 4.6 mm/s)
reduced the maximum temperature by 57% and the tool
wear by 84%, consequently increasing the G-Ratio and
improving process efficiency. The better performance ob-
tained with the increase of feed rate is related to the lower
occurrence of material adhesion on the cut-off disc, and
the lower cutting time.
& However, this increase in the feed rate led to a rise of
127% in consumed power, as chip thickness and the num-
ber of active cutting edges are increased.
& To improve process performance in terms of wear for
cutting of low carbon and medium carbon steels, the
feed rate can be increased (respecting the capacity of
the machine) until the wear is mainly affected by me-
chanical loads.

Max. Temperature (°C)

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

G-Ratio 0.0 Cutting Power (W)

AISI 1020 - 2.0 mm/s

AISI 1020 - 3.4 mm/s
AISI 1020 - 4.6 mm/s
AISI 1045 - 2.0 mm/s
Diametrical Wheel Wear AISI 1045 - 3.4 mm/s
(µm) AISI 1045 - 4.6 mm/s
Fig. 12 Comparative evaluation of the output parameters based on radar chart

& The ductility of the cut material also plays an essential role
in the cut-off disc wear mechanism. Higher ductility in-
creases the trend of material adhesion and can reduce the
positive effect of the increase in feed rate, due to the higher
temperatures generated.
& The proposed simulation model was able to calculate the
process temperatures with reasonable accuracy, making
possible its application to predict and avoid thermal dam-
age to parts in cut-off operations.
Acknowledgments The authors thank the Norton Company, from Saint
Gobain Group, for providing the discs.
Funding information The study was financially supported by the São
Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP – process 2018/22661-2),
Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Level Education
Personnel (CAPES), and National Council for Scientific and
Technological Development (CNPq).
Compliance with ethical standards
Conflict of interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.
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