Influence of Subsequently Applied Mechanical and Thermal Loads on Surfaces Ground with Mechanical Main Impact

To generate advanced properties for the wear resistance and fatigue life of components and allow for an improved, application-oriented development of part specifications, a precisely tailored initial machining or manufacturing process is necessary. In addition, it is important to know how subsequent machining steps or operational loads affect the components’ condition. Residual stresses are a meaningful measurand for evaluating the modifications that a machining process induces into the material. The desired modifications should be specified regarding the final state for the required operational behavior. Thus, the stability of the modifications can be considered so that they can be beneficial in service. This investigation is part of fundamental research in the field of the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) “Process Signatures”. By applying defined selected loads, the effects on machined surface layers are investigated since machined components are exposed to further loads during use. For this reason, experimental process chains are applied in this work to grind-strengthened specimens as possible application cases and corresponding loads. These experimental process chains consist of defined mechanical and thermal loads, which are applied to the specimens using a thermal and mechanical testing system. Furthermore, it is investigated how these additional loads affect the modifications previously introduced by the grinding process. The influence of the additional loads is evaluated by using radiographic and electron microscopic examinations. It can be observed that the sequence, as well as the type of the applied loads, play a significant role in the development of the modifications.