Dual Electrolytic Grinding of Cr12 Hardened Die Steel

To improve the grinding quality and removal rate of Cr12 die steel, a novel dual electrolytic grinding (DEG) method is proposed, featuring simultaneous electrolysis of both workpiece and grinding wheel. This approach synergistically combines electrochemical oxidation with mechanical grinding to address wheel loading issues and unstable surface quality. Grinding experiments are conducted to investigate the effects of critical parameters including wheel voltage, workpiece voltage, and workpiece power frequency. Grinding force, wheel wear, material removal rate (MRR), grinding ratio, and workpiece surface quality are analyzed Experimental results reveal that fine surface quality with a surface roughness Sa of 2.5 nm is achieved at 30 V wheel voltage and 27.5 V workpiece voltage. Excessive wheel voltage (>30 V) accelerats binder dissolution, causing abrasive particle detachment and reduces grinding force. When workpiece voltage reaches 37.5 V, MRR increases by over 200% compared to nonelectrolytic conditions. Increasing workpiece electrolysis frequency from 25 kHz to 250 kHz enhances MRR by 23% (64 μm h −1 ). Under selected parameters, the grinding ratio improves by 47% (3.9) compared to conventional methods, achieving mirror‐like finish surfaces with Sa <3 nm. These findings demonstrate that DEG enables high‐quality surface processing of die steel and shows significant potential for precision machining of difficult‐to‐cut metals.