Handbook of Advanced Ceramics Machining

Ceramics, with their unique properties and diverse applications, hold the potential to revolutionize many industries, including automotive and semiconductors. For many applications, ceramics could replace metals and other materials that are more easily and inexpensively machined. However, current ceramic machining methods remain cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, the current flurry of research will soon yield new and better methods for machining advanced ceramic materials. Reflecting the life-long dedication of an unsurpassed team of experts from industry and academia, the Handbook of Advanced Ceramics Machining explores the latest developments in our understanding of the mechanisms involved in ceramics machining as well as state-of-the-art technologies. Multiple chapters are devoted to various types and aspects of the lapping and grinding processes, such as mechanisms, monitoring techniques, mono- versus polycrystalline abrasives, and tribological properties. Covering methods that offer high-rate material removal and others that provide extremely high-quality surface finish, this book examines conventional, new, and lesser-known methods including ductile grinding, belt centerless grinding, lapping, polishing, double-side grinding, laser-assisted grinding, ultrasonic machining, and the new electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) grinding method. An indispensable toolkit for opening new avenues of possibility for ceramics applications, the Handbook of Advanced Ceramics Machining helps bring cost-effective, high-performance, and high-precision methods into standard practice.