ELID grinding applications

A mirror surface was achieved on silicon nitride materials when ELID grinding was performed using a 4000 grit-size wheel. The finish ELID technology will find wide application in the optical and semiconductor industries such as mirror finishing of silicon wafers, many kinds of ceramics, ferrite, and glass. 

This chapter represents a state-of-the-art process in the domain of electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) abrasives. The information enclosed represents a considerable effort of analysis and s)mthesis of more than 50 titles from most relevant research published on this topic in the United States, Japan, and western Europe for the last 10 years. A comprehensive description of the principle and characteristic mechanisms of ELID abrasion are introduced. Specific features of each component of ELID grinding and polishing system are described further. Next, an explanation of the successful and wide application of ELID principles to ceramic grinding is furnished. Most important, 14 applications of ELID principle to modern abrasive processes are documented. The final summary and conclusions represent a handy tool for rapid information on ELID abrasion. 

For some applications, this completely eliminates the need for loose abrasive lapping or polishing. The application of ELID grinding to the fabrication of large (150-250 mm in diameter) optical components is also studied. Published data suggest that ELID grinding can be successfully applied fo subsfrates of fhis size regime. 

ELID grinding was employed to process several t5q3es of materials like ceramics, hard steels, ceramic glass, ceramic coatings, and so forth, with various shapes (plane, cylindrical external and internal, spherical and aspherical lenses, etc.) and dimensions. Various ELID applications and their reference literature are listed here ... 

Kato, T., Ohmori, H., Zhang, C., and Qian, J. Analysis of friction and wear properties of CVD-SiC film with ELID-grinding, Abrasive Technology Current Development and Applications I, [Page No. 8], 1999, pp. 165-172. 

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