Study on the magnetic abrasive finishing process using alternating magnetic field—discussion on the influence of current waveform variation

With the development of semiconductors, optics, aerospace, and other fields, the requirements for surface finish are constantly increasing. This requires not only better surface quality but also higher finishing efficiency. In order to improve the surface quality, the magnetic abrasive finishing process using an alternating magnetic field was proposed in the previous research. In this process, the magnetic clusters constantly fluctuate due to the periodic change of the current, thereby realizing the circulation of the abrasive particles in contact with the workpiece. It has been proved through previous studies that a better surface quality can be obtained in an alternating magnetic field. However, there are still some unclear mechanisms. For example, the fluctuation of magnetic cluster mainly depends on the change of current, but it is not clear which current change mode is more suitable for improving finishing efficiency and surface quality. Therefore, in this study, the influence of the current change mode on the magnetic field, finishing force, and finishing characteristics are discussed. Furthermore, SUS304 stainless steel plate was used as the object to conduct a series of experiments. According to the experimental results, when the abrasive particles are WA#8000, the average diameter of the magnetic particles is 75 μm, and the frequency is 1 Hz; in the case of pulse current with a duty cycle of 80%, a higher material removal rate can be achieved. The material removal rate is 1.7 times that of the static magnetic field and 1.45 times that of the sinusoidal alternating magnetic field.