A mathematical model of the acoustic emission signal during a grinding cycle is proposed for the monitoring of material removal in precision cylindrical grinding. Acoustic emission signals generated during precision grinding are sensitive to forces in grinding and present opportunities in accurate and reliable process monitoring. The proposed model is developed on the basis of a traditional grinding force model. Using the developed model, a series of experiments were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the acoustic emission-sensing approach in estimating the time constant and material removal in grinding. Results indicate that acoustic emission measurements can be used in the prediction of material removal in precision grinding with excellent sensitivity.