| dc.description | Abstract : The use of polished high gloss porcelain tile has become increasingly common in civil construction. One of the main factors that determine this choice is the great aesthetic call due to the high gloss, occupying the niche market previously dominated by natural stones, such as marble or granite, for example. The machining process to obtain that high gloss can be divided into several distinct stages, the first one is the flat grinding for roughing and removal of orthogonal defects from the top surface of ceramic plate. Commonly, the process parameters used into grinding are obtained directly on industrial line by "trial and error", depending strongly on the operator's experience and sensitivity to adjust the machinery. As a result of this empirical procedure, there are several problems that increase the cost of production and may injure the final gloss of the product. So this doctoral thesis aims to increase the knowledge of tribology and kinematics, optimizing the fragile grinding process for porcelain tile. It is considered in this study the physical interaction between the abrasive grain and the surface of the ceramic plate, as well the kinematic described by this one on the work piece. As a way to simulate the tribological effect during machining, tests were performed employing a surface grinding machine and sclerometry, using an abrasive well with a single diamond abrasive grain and a Vickers indenter as abrasive tool, respectively. The results were analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and optical perfilometry. In theoretical evaluation, the equations proposed in the literature for material removal by fragile scratching based on the basic characteristics of ceramic were compared to the experimental results obtained, in order to validate their representativeness. At the end, based on the conclusions presented in this work, adaptations are proposed to improve the mathematical modelling, as well process conditions are pointed to optimize the fragile grinding step for high gloss porcelain tiles, seeking a balance between the state of art and the economic viability of the process. | |
