Formation of Workpiece–Tool Contact Zone in Belt Grinding of Blades for Gas Turbine Engines.

A model is proposed for the formation of the workpiece–tool contact zone in belt grinding of blades for gas turbine engines on CNC machine tools. The model takes account of fluctuation of the forces applied to the contact element; and the complex shape of the contact element and the workpiece. The Femlab modeling software employed permits assessment of the contact area and conclusions regarding the distribution of the belt pressure over the workpiece surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]