Micro-arc plasma discharge polishing for multi-material parts

Abstract

Multiple material parts (MMP) have good physical and mechanical properties, which are commonly used in some critical applications such as engine blades. Current polishing techniques for MMP suffer from low efficiency and poor surface quality. To effectively polish MMP with complex shapes, this paper proposes an environmentally friendly micro-arc plasma polishing method that combines electrochemical and electrical discharge machining. The material removal mechanism of micro-arc plasma discharge polishing of MMP is analyzed. The experiments show that the proposed method is feasible by polishing 304 stainless steels, and the influence factors of the polishing efficiency and surface quality are discussed. The parameters’ optimization is conducted that provides the technical theory basis and control strategy for MMPs’ engineering application.