Cup wheel grinding has emerged as a core technique in high-precision manufacturing, offering unique advantages in efficient material removal and the machining of complex surfaces. This review provides a comprehensive overview of theoretical advancements, process innovations, and industrial applications of cup wheel grinding over the past decades. The theoretical discussion centers on multiscale modeling of grinding forces and heat generation, the regulation of surface integrity under thermo-mechanical coupling, and predictive approaches for wheel wear and service life. Furthermore, this review highlights the intrinsic links between material removal mechanisms and the control of subsurface damage. Moreover, this paper explores the fabrication and dressing of cup wheels, multi-objective parameter optimization strategies, multi-physics-assisted grinding techniques, and green cooling and lubrication solutions for enhancing efficiency and quality. Representative industrial applications demonstrate the irreplaceable role of cup wheel grinding in aerospace, energy, transportation, semiconductor, and optical manufacturing. This review outlines future research directions, including multiscale micro/nano grinding modeling, sustainable monitoring, control strategies for green manufacturing, and the integration of physical models with data-driven intelligent manufacturing. In addition, this review aims to serve as a comprehensive reference for academic and industrial communities, driving innovation in cup wheel grinding technologies and new quality productivity.

Carbon fiber-reinforced carbon and silicon carbide (C_f/C–SiC) composites have garnered substantial attention because of their superior mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. In the present work, the tribological properties of 2.5D C_f/C–SiC against silicon nitride under dry friction over a wide temperature range, ranging from room temperature (RT) to 800 °C, are studied with a pin-on-disc tribometer, and the microstructure is characterized via a variety of methods. The results underscore that 600 °C marks a pivotal juncture where the tribological properties of C_f/C–SiC undergo a notable shift. Below 600 °C, the friction coefficient clearly increases with increasing temperature, paired with minimal wear. For this temperature range, the main wear mechanisms are minor oxidation wear and slight abrasive wear. In contrast, above 600 °C, a slightly lower, fluctuating plateau is observed in the friction coefficient. This is attributed to the accumulation of wear debris, the cyclical formation and breakdown of the friction film, and the softening of the friction surface. For temperatures above 600 °C, the wear mechanism transitions into a state characterized by the concurrent presence of adhesive wear, abrasive wear, and severe oxidative wear. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the tribological behavior and wear mechanism of C_f/C–SiC at elevated temperatures.

Significant advancements in ultra-precision machining technology have forced a re-examination of the spindle perpendicularity errors’ impact on the milled surface quality at the micro-nano scale. In this paper, a method of spindle precision adjustment is proposed to enhance surface finish quality. Sensitive errors in the machining process are identified using multi-body kinematic theory, with the milling process serving as an example. A two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) rotation platform is designed, optimized, and fabricated. The platform’s static model is established based on elastic beam theory and verified by finite element analysis. Structural parameters are optimized via the response surface method in combination with the Pareto front. Experimental results reveal the effects of spindle speed, voltage amplitude, vibration frequency, cutting depth, and feed rate on the platform’s modulation performance. The static modulation experiment shows that the perpendicularity error between the spindle and the guideway can be reduced from 92.5 μrad to 0.25 μrad. Finally, milling experiments show that the surface quality can be improved by 37.6% after spindle modulation.

Vibration-assisted grinding is one of the most promising technologies for manufacturing optical components due to its efficiency and quality advantages. However, the damage and crack propagation mechanisms of materials in vibration-assisted grinding are not well understood. In order to elucidate the mechanism of abrasive scratching during vibration-assisted grinding, a kinematic model of vibration scratching was developed. The influence of process parameters on the evolution of vibration scratches to indentation or straight scratches is revealed by displacement metrics and velocity metrics. Indentation, scratch and vibration scratch experiments were performed on quartz glass, and the results showed that the vibration scratch cracks are a combination of indentation cracks and scratch cracks. Vibration scratch cracks change from indentation cracks to scratch cracks as the indenter moves from the entrance to the exit of the workpiece or as the vibration frequency changes from high to low. A vertical vibration scratch stress field model is established for the first time, which reveals that the maximum principal stress and tensile stress distribution is the fundamental cause for inducing the transformation of the vibration scratch cracking system. This model provides a theoretical basis for understanding of the mechanism of material damage and crack propagation during vibration-assisted grinding.

Precision and low damage grinding of aviation optical elements can effectively improve the overall processing efficiency. The mechanism of high-speed cross scuffing of multiple abrasive particles has become an important factor affecting the forming quality of workpiece. Interaction of abrasive trajectory determines machined surface and subsurface morphology and damage. According to the relative motion trajectory of wear particles on the workpiece surface, a theoretical model of the trochoidal trajectory intersection angle is proposed. High-speed scratches with different cross angles are experimentally obtained to explore the interference mechanism and damage accumulation of cross scratches. The results indicate that the Crack system Ⅰ and Crack system Ⅱ, produced by the two cross scratches, are mainly based on the stress principle and the strength principle, respectively. An increase in the damage radius is observed with a decrease in the crossing angle. Furthermore, as the duration of the normal cutting force decomposition curve at the entrance/exit of the intersection increases, the half-peak width also increases. The accumulation of cross-scratch damage promotes the propagation of deep subsurface lateral and median cracks. In other words, damage accumulation and interference mechanism formed by the cross scratches increase the longitudinal depth and lateral length of the damage.