Modeling and Analysis of Pipe External Surface Grinding Force using Cup-shaped Wire Brush

Grinding the pipe external surface using cup-shaped wire brushes is a widely adopted approach in pipeline maintenance. To achieve automated grinding of the external pipe, it is crucial to establish a grinding force model and explore the grinding mechanism accordingly. In this study, based on the characteristics of cup-shaped wire brushes, a controllable and efficient approach for grinding the pipe external surface is proposed. An experimental platform is constructed to simulate the grinding process and measure real-time pipeline grinding forces using a six-axis force sensor. The influence of different grinding parameters on the grinding forces on the curved surface of the pipe is investigated via parameter study. Furthermore, based on a single abrasive grain grinding force model, a predictive model for investigating grinding forces on the pipe external surface using is developed, where the fitted grinding force model obtained from the experimental data is taken into account.