Comparison of Laser Cleaning of A1(2)O(3) and CBN Grinding Wheels

A new method to clean clogged chips on grinding wheel surface using Nd:YAG laser is presented in this paper. The effective cleaning can be achieved by the selection of adequate laser power intensity and pulse width. The large difference in conductivity between A1(2)O(3) and CBN results in different mechanisms of chips removed by laser irradiation. Fusion and evaporation of Chips plays important roles in the process of laser cleaning for grinding wheels.