Education, Process Innovation and End to End Innovation are the focus areas of STIMS Institute. Each of these three focus areas are interconnected. education that is merely academic is less valuable today in the world where more than 80% of what is needed can be obtained through Google. Today education has to be holistic (i.e.) system oriented. That implies scientific fundamentals together with an emphasis on application of the science and the strategic reasoning required to make such education relevant and useful in the real world. Such Education was offered for the fourth year in a row . This leads to over 100 senior engineers, managers and teachers trained to meet the high end professional needs in the manufacturing sector.
This year the course was offered under the GIAN (Global Initiative for Academic Network) program at IIT – Madras, India.
Course Outline:
- Why should we grind?
- Critical and enduring role of physical processes like grinding in manufacturing and especially in Precision Components Manufacturing
- Examples of grinding processes used in a wide variety of:
- Work materials, machines, components and applications
- Role of grinding processes in traditional applications as well as emerging needs like high efficiency IC engines, computer parts, LED, PV and wind energy components manufacturing.
- The System Approach to Grinding Processes:
- Every process is an Input / Transformation / Output system
- “Transformation” represents the Science of the Process
- System Approach requires integration of Science, Engineering and Strategy
- Grinding Processes are Input /Transformation / Output systems for surface generation to meet critical functional needs and process economics.
- The Science of grinding: The microscopic interactions that occur at the grinding zone and their quantification
- Inputs to the grinding process and how they impact the microscopic interactions:
- Work Materials and components
- Abrasive and dressing tools, coolants and other consumables
- Machine Tools (key element of investment and process design)
- Process parameters (that are selected as part of process design and can be changed at the shop floor )
- Measurement and Analysis of grinding processes
- Hands on laboratory exercises
- Tutorials and analytical and data driven problem solving
- Technical Outputs – What are the requirements to be met when using grinding processes
- System Outputs – the Why? strategic and economic considerations pertaining to grinding processes
- Application of the System Approach – Case Studies
- Truing & Dressing of CBN grinding wheels
- Optimal use of CBN grinding solutions
- Simple Solid Shape (S^3) grinding – High MRR low WIP, short lead time and flexible processes
- Processes for micro – chip, magnetic head and LED substrate fabrication.
- Machining to Grinding Processes
- Data driven process solutions.
- Optimization in the development og new machine tools for grinding process solutions.
- Guest Lectures from Industry and academic leaders on the need and role of System Approach for manufacturing processes.
This course was a team effort in collaboration with Prof. Ramesh Babu, IIT – M, Mr. Sudheendra – a research student for his Ph.D program and Mr. Anant Jain – R&D manager, Micromatic Grinding Technologies, a well recognized Precision Grinding Machine manufacturer.
STIMS Institute 