University of the Philippines ME 136 – Machine Tool Operations

Name: Gene Laser Andrew E. Orion Student Number: 2015 - 12624

Date: May 6, 2021

Lab Activity 5
Directions: Answer the following questions in at least one paragraph.
1) Perhaps you have observed the following wear phenomena: A set of marble or wooden steps shows
wear on the treads in the regions where people step when they climb (or descend) the steps. The
higher up the steps, the less the wear on the tread. Given that soles of shoes (leather, rubber) are far
softer than marble or granite, explain (a) Why and how the steps wear, and (b) Why the lower steps
are more worn than the upper steps.
The stairs wear because of the hard particles embedded in the soles of shoes. Although these
soles are just made of leather or rubber which is far softer than marble or granite, they acts as laps that
are charged when we are walking in rough but fine surfaces such as roads, sidewalks and etc. When
we are walking outside, fine grits of abrasives such as gravel, pebbles, sand and etc. get stuck on the
soles of our shoes. It is also observed that the lower steps are more worn than the upper steps because
the grits get dull and is eventually removed from the shoes, the further the person goes up the stairs.

2) Explain the relationship between grit size and surface finish. Why is the grade of a bond in a
grinding wheel important? How does grade differ from structure in a grinding wheel?

The smaller or finer the grit size is the better the surface finish. Meaning, the finished surface
is neater and smoother than to those surfaces finished using larger grit sizes. The grade of the bond in
a grinding wheel indicates the strength of the bonding material. The stronger the bond, the harder it is
for the grits to pull out of the wheel. Structure on the other hand, indicates the spacing between its
abrasive grains. A dense-structured grinding wheel have a closer grains compared to an open structure.

3) Give 3 ways of grinding on machines and explain each.

There are different ways in using grinding machines. They can be used for surface grinding to
grind flat surfaces or workpieces. They can also be used for tool grinding to grind the tool’s cutting
edges to make it sharp again. Another basic use of it, is for cutting off. It can be used for slicing and
slotting parts.

4) What are common causes of grinding accidents?

Accidents happen when it is operated at a very a high rotational speed (RPM). It can also
happen cracked wheels are used in grinding. Grain dislodging is also a common accident in using
grinding wheels especially when the operator doesn’t use protective goggles / safety glasses. Another,
is when the wheel is used without its shield or safety guards.

5) One of the problems with waterjet cutting is that the process is very noisy. Why?

Waterjets before are very noisy because they are operated out in the open. This noise happens
since waterjets are operated at very high pressures, at supersonic speeds. In here the intensity of
turbulence phenomena will dictate the jet’s sound power. Nowadays, since it is very hard to
significantly lessen the noise produced in waterjet cutting, they do it underwater to significantly
reduce the noise.

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