Simulation for the prediction of surface roughness in magnetic abrasive flow finishing (MAFF)

The final machining (or finishing) of precision parts with high level of surface finish and close tolerance is making the application of magnetic abrasive finishing technology increasingly important. Magnetic abrasive flow finishing (MAFF) is a new abrasive finishing process combining the features of abrasive flow finishing (AFF) and magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF). MAFF provides a high level of surface finish and close tolerances for wide range of industrial application. This paper focuses on the modeling and simulation for the prediction of surface roughness on the workpiece surface finished by MAFF process. A finite element model is developed to find the magnetic potential distribution in the magnetic abrasive brush formed during finishing action and then it is used to evaluate machining pressure, surface finish and material removal. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results available in the literature. The simulated workpiece surface roughness shows features similar in nature to the experimental results.