Experimental investigations on magnetic abrasive finishing of Ti-6Al-4V using a multiple pole-tip finishing tool

Abstract

Surface finishing plays a critical role in product manufacturing. This paper aims to evaluate the magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) process in achieving nano-finishing on Ti-6Al-4V workpiece. An improved finishing tool–integrated multiple pole-tip is fabricated to perform the surface finishing of Ti-6Al-4V workpieces. Finite element analysis of the variation of magnetic field intensity in the finishing region demonstrates obvious formation of magnetic brush based on the simulation model. The simulation results are confirmed by experimental measurements, where it shows a good agreement. Finishing experiments for Ti-6Al-4V workpieces are carried out using an established platform, aiming to investigate the effects of varying the spindle rotational feed, the rotary table speed, and the working gap on surface roughness (Ra). The surface roughness of 0.073 μm was achieved from the initial 1.195 μm based on the finishing parameters of 900-rpm spindle rotational speed, 160 r/min rotary table speed, and 0.7-mm working gap, which improved by over 94%. The surface quality was improved significantly with scratch reduction.