Mechanical and thermal effects of abrasive cut-off applied in low and medium carbon steels using aluminum oxide cutting disc

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.