The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (2021) 114:2471–2483

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07048-9

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Study on the magnetic abrasive finishing process using alternating

magnetic field—discussion on the influence of current
waveform variation
Huijun Xie 1 & Yanhua Zou 1

Received: 21 October 2020 / Accepted: 5 April 2021 / Published online: 10 April 2021
# The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2021

Abstract
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.

Keywords Magnetic abrasive finishing . Current waveform . Alternating magnetic field . Precision finishing . Magnetic flux
density

1 Introduction netic particles, which makes the workpiece bear significantly

With the development of semiconductors, optics, aerospace,
and other fields, the requirements for surface finish are con-
stantly increasing. Correspondingly, there are higher require-
ments for machining technology [1], abrasive-cutting process
[2, 3], finishing process, etc. The magnetic abrasive finishing
(MAF) process is considered to be one of the processes for
achieving ultra-precision surfaces. Compared with the tradi-
tional grinding, lapping, or honing process using fixed tools,
one of the advantages of the MAF process is that it does not
use such rigid tool but a flexible tool composed of fine mag-
* Yanhua Zou
yanhua@cc.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp
1
Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, 7-1-2Yoto,
Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321-8585, Japan
more low stress [4]. In addition, it can avoid the impact of
structural interference on the quality of the finished surface
product due to vibration or chatter [5]. Due to the characteris-
tics of the MAF process, it can be applied to the ultra-precision
finishing of the plane [6], the finishing of the inner surface of
the tube [7, 8], edge deburring [9], and other fields.
Shinmura et al. [10, 11] investigated the application of the
MAF process on flat surfaces in the early years. They ex-
plained the process principle and discussed the influence of
magnetic pole rotation speed and working gap on finishing
characteristics. Zou et al. [12, 13] discussed the influence of
the magnetic pole movement trajectory on finishing character-
istics. Through theoretical analysis and experiments, they
proved that the simultaneous rotation and revolution of the
magnetic pole can improve the flatness of the finished surface.
In addition, they proposed magnetic abrasive finishing com-
bined with the electrolytic process (EMAF) [14, 15]. They
2472
discussed the processing principle of EMAF and the stability
of finishing. It proves that the EMAF process can significantly
improve finishing efficiency. Lee et al. [16, 17] discussed the
effect of the combination planetary motion with a two-
dimensional vibration-assisted magnetic abrasive finishing
process on the finishing efficiency and surface quality. They
showed that this method helps to improve surface quality and
reduce finishing costs. Through experiments, they obtained
the best combination of process parameters to improve the
surface roughness, and can reduce the surface roughness of
SUS304 stainless steel workpiece from 0.14 to 0.032 μm in
12.5 min. Pandey et al. [18–20] studied the ultrasonic-assisted
MAF (UAMAF) process. The influence of power supply volt-
age, abrasive size, magnetic pole rotation speed, and other
factors on the finishing characteristics was explored through
experiments. They proved that UAMAF process can finish the
surface to the nanometer level faster than MAF process. They
also proposed model for predicting the material removal rate
and surface roughness changes, and compared the predicted
value with the experimental value, and proved that the pre-
dicted value is in good agreement with the experimental result.
Jain et al. [21, 22] studied the effect of working gap and
circumferential speed on material removal and surface rough-
ness and concluded that the working gap and circumferential
speed are the parameters which significantly influence the
surface roughness value (Ra). They also studied the influence
of process parameters such as current, working gap, and rota-
tion speed on the tangential force and finishing force in the
MAF process. They concluded that the current value and
working gap are the most important factors affecting the tan-
gential force and the finishing force. Fan et al. [23] developed
a novel magnetic field-assisted finishing (MFAF) tool to per-
form finishing operations of Ti-6Al-4 V workpieces. They
report that the designed tool can achieve lower surface rough-
ness compared to single-pole finishing tools. The surface
roughness of Ti-6Al-4 V workpiece is improved from 1.121
to 46 nm. In addition, there are some researches on
magnetorheological finishing (MRF). When the MRF process
is performed, the magnetic particles in the magnetorheological
(MR) fluid pile up into interconnected chain-like structures
along the lines of magnetic force, and holding the abrasive
particles in between and within them. Material removal is
achieved through the contact and relative movement of the
MR fluid and the workpiece. Wang et al. [24, 25] developed
magnetorheological planarization process and conducted an
in-depth analysis of the removal mechanism and processing
characteristics of the process. They reported that the polishing
force increased with increasing carbonyl iron particle concen-
tration. In addition, the influence of different magnetic sources
on the finishing characteristics was investigated. They con-
cluded that the removal rate of magnet brick was the highest
among the three magnets (horizontal yoke, brick, and sloping
yoke).
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483
However, it is inevitable that due to the wear of abrasive
particles during the finishing process, the finishing efficiency
is reduced, and the finishing stability is poor. Therefore, the
MAF process using an alternating magnetic field is proposed
[26, 27]. The process causes the magnetic cluster to fluctuate
continuously during the finishing process through current
changes, thereby realizing the circulation of the abrasive par-
ticles in contact with the workpiece, and ensuring the stability
of the finishing tool. In previous research, it was proved that
the MAF process using alternating magnetic field has higher
finishing efficiency and surface quality [26–29]. The changing
law of magnetic force and finishing force with current change
in alternating magnetic field is studied, and the law of mag-
netic cluster fluctuation is observed and analyzed [29]. In ad-
dition, the influence of some important process parameters on
the finishing characteristics is discussed, and it is proved that
this process can realize ultra-precision finishing of materials
such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and alumina ceramic.
However, there are still some unclear mechanisms. For exam-
ple, the fluctuation of the 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.
In this research, the influence of the current change mode
on the magnetic field, finishing force (the force acting on the
workpiece in the vertical direction by the magnetic cluster),
and finishing characteristics was discussed. First, the relation-
ship between the magnetic flux density and the finishing force
in the steady state (the current value is stable, no magnetiza-
tion or demagnetization process) is discussed. Secondly, the
influence of current change mode on magnetic flux density
and finishing force is studied. Finally, the effects of current
change mode on finishing characteristics are compared
through experiments.
2 Processing principle and experimental
setup
2.1 Processing principle
Figure 1 shows a schematic of the processing principle. The
electrolytic iron powder, the abrasive, and the grinding fluid
are uniformly mixed in a certain proportion to form magnetic
compound fluid. The magnetic compound fluid is placed in
the tray. The electrolytic iron powder in the magnetic com-
pound fluid is attracted by the magnetic pole to form the mag-
netic cluster and carry abrasive particles to press the work-
piece. The rotational movement and feed movement of the
magnetic pole cause relative movement between the magnetic
cluster and the workpiece. Through the relative movement of
the magnetic cluster and the workpiece, the finishing of the
workpiece is realized. In addition, through the change of the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483 2473

Workpiece Alternating magnetic field the speed control system. The required current waveform is
provided to the coil through an AC power supply
Magnetic particle Abrasive particle (PCR1000LA). In addition, a high-speed camera (CHU30)
Working gap was used to observe the fluctuation behavior of magnetic clus-
Grinding fluid
ter. The shooting frequency of the high-speed camera is 1000
Magnetic pole
Rotation FPS.

Tray AC power
Coil supply 3 The influence of current waveform
on magnetic field and finishing force

In this study, the magnetic field is continuously changed by

Feed movement
Fig. 1 Schematic of processing principle
current, the magnetic cluster fluctuates, thereby renewing the
abrasive particles in contact with the workpiece, ensuring the
stability of the grinding tool, and improving the finishing
efficiency.
2.2 Experimental setup
The experimental setup is shown in Fig. 2. The coil is fixed to
the mobile station and performs a feed movement together
with the magnetic pole. The electromagnetic coil is wound
by copper wire with a diameter of 1 mm, and the number of
turns is 2000. The coil has an outer diameter of 85 mm, an
inner diameter of 20 mm, and a height of 120 mm. A magnetic
pole with a diameter of 15 mm is used, with cross grooves on
its surface. The grooves are 1-mm wide and 1-mm deep, and
the distance between adjacent parallel grooves is 2 mm. The
magnetic pole is connected to the motor II and performs rota-
tion motion. The speed of feed motion and rotation motion can
be adjusted according to the needs of the experiment through
Magnetic cluster
Tray Workpiece
Coil
controlling the current supplied to the coil. The change of the
magnetic field causes the magnetic cluster to fluctuate, there-
by realizing the circulation of abrasive particles in contact with
the workpiece and ensuring the stability of the grinding tool.
In this process, the change of the current waveform will cause
the magnetic field and the finishing force to change at the
same time, thereby affecting the finishing characteristics.
Therefore, it is very important to explore the influence of
current changes on the magnetic field and finishing force. In
this section, first, the magnetic field and finishing force are
measured and analyzed in a steady state. Secondly, the chang-
es of magnetic field and finishing force under different current
waveforms were measured and investigated.
3.1 The relationship between magnetic field and
finishing force
In order to analyze the influence of the current waveform on
the magnetic field and the finishing force, when the current
gradually increases and reaches a stable state, the changes in
the magnetic flux density and finishing force are measured
respectively. The schematic diagram of the magnetic flux den-
sity measurement system is shown in Fig. 3. The probe is
fixed above the magnetic pole, and the position of the mea-
suring area of the probe is adjusted so that the center is on the
axis of the magnetic pole and is 1.5 mm away from the mag-
netic pole. The probe (T-401) is connected to the gauss meter
Gauss meter
Probe (T-401)
( GM-4002 )

Speed control system

Logger (midi
Pole
Motor Ⅰ
Motor Ⅱ LOGGER GL240)
Coil
Power supply
(PCR 1000LA)
Fig. 2 External view of the experimental setup Fig. 3 Schematic diagram of magnetic flux density measurement system
2474
(GM-4002), and the output signal of the gauss meter is con-
nected to the logger (GL240). The accuracy of the magnetic
flux density measuring device (T-401 and GM-4002) is A
± (A × 2 % + 2.004) mT, where A is the measured value. At
the same time, the power supply outputs direct current and
connects the output signal to the logger and the coil. The
current supplied to the coil is from -4 to 4 A, and the magnetic
flux density value is recorded every 0.1 A.
The measurement result is shown in Fig. 4. According to
the measurement result, the direction of the magnetic flux
density changes when the direction of the current changes.
But when the current intensity is the same, the absolute value
of the magnetic flux density is basically the same. Therefore,
the relationship between the current intensity and the absolute
value of the magnetic flux density can be obtained by poly-
nomial fitting, as shown in the following equation,
jBj ¼ −0:7123jI j4 þ 8:872jI j3 −43:97jI j2 þ 127:9jI j

the finishing force acting on the workpiece is approximately
þ 0:6382 R2 ¼ 1
The measuring system of the finishing force is shown in
Fig. 5. This measuring system is used to measure the force in
the vertical direction. The load cell is fixed above the magnetic
pole and connected to the signal conditioner. The load cell
(LCB03, sensitivity: 2 mV/V) is made of non-magnetic mate-
rials (aluminum, resin, etc.). The output signal of the signal
conditioner and the power supply are simultaneously connect-
ed to the logger. The measurement conditions of the finishing
force are shown in Table 1. Electrolytic iron powder (1.2 g),
abrasive particles (0.3 g), and grinding fluid (0.8 ml) are uni-
formly mixed and placed on the tray. Adjust the position of the
load cell so that the gap between the bottom plate and the tray
is 1.5 mm. During the measurement, the magnetic pole per-
forms a rotating movement at a speed of 350 rpm. Due to the
rotating movement of the magnetic pole, the magnetic
200
Magnetic flux density (mT)
100
0 are measured simultaneously. The measurement results
-100
-200
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Current (A)
Fig. 4 The relationship between magnetic flux density and current
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483
abrasive slurry will occasionally be thrown out when the mag-
netic force is small, which will affect the measurement results.
In addition, according to previous studies [29], the magnitude
of the finishing force is not affected by the direction of the
current but is related to the current intensity. Therefore, the
finishing force is measured when the current is in one direc-
tion, and the minimum current value is set to 0.9 A. Measure
the finishing force every 0.1 A, and calculate the average
value of the measured value of 6 s as the value of the finishing
force at the corresponding current value.
The measurement results are shown in Fig. 6. It can be seen
that as the current increases, the finishing force increases, but the
increasing rate of finishing force gradually slows down.
According to the measurement results of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, the
relationship between the finishing force and the magnetic flux
density can be obtained, as shown in Fig. 7. It can be seen that
when the gap with the magnetic pole is 1.5 mm, the relationship
between the magnetic flux density on the magnetic pole axis and
ð1Þ
linear (steady state, the current is between 0.9 and 4 A).
Perform polynomial fitting through MATLAB to obtain Eq. (2):


F ¼ 0:0061123  B−0:26106 R2 ¼ 0:9954 ð2Þ
3.2 The effect of current waveform on magnetic field
This study explored the effects of the eight current waveforms
shown in Fig. 8 on the magnetic field, finishing force, and
finishing characteristics. Among them, A waveform, B wave-
form, and C waveform are sine waveform, square waveform,
and smooth DC waveform respectively. The D waveform is a
sine waveform after full-wave rectification. E waveform, F wave-
form, G waveform, and H waveform are pulse waves with duty
cycle of 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90% respectively. When measur-
ing the magnetic flux density, the current frequency of the AC
power supply is set to 1 Hz. Since the D waveform is obtained
after full-wave rectification of the A waveform, the frequency is
2 Hz. Set the average current of all waveforms to 1.9 A.
The measurement method is shown in Fig. 3. The mag-
netic flux density at 1.5 mm above the axis of the mag-
netic pole and the voltage of the power supply to the coil
are shown in Fig. 9. Comparing the change curve of mag-
netic flux density and voltage, it can be seen that the
change of magnetic flux density is different from the
change of voltage. This is mainly reflected in the change
speed of the magnetic flux density in the process of mag-
netization and demagnetization lags behind the change
4 speed of the power supply. According to the relationship
between the magnetic flux density and the current obtain-
ed in the steady-state, draw the change curve of the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483
Table 1 Measurement conditions
Magnetic particles
Abrasive particles
Grinding fluid
Rotational speed of magnetic pole
Feed speed of mobile stage
Working gap
Current
magnetic flux density (steady-state value curve in Fig. 9).
By comparing the steady-state value curve with the mea-
sured value curve, it can be seen that when the current
increases, the magnetic flux density will be less than the
steady-state magnetic flux density. Correspondingly, in
the process of current reduction, the magnetic flux density
is greater than the magnetic flux density in the steady
state. In order to analyze the influence on the magnetic
flux density when the currents of different waveforms are
supplied to the coil, the average value of the absolute
value of the measured magnetic flux density (Bavg) and
the average value of the absolute value of the magnetic
flux density in the steady-state (Bsavg) were calculated
respectively. Bsavg is calculated based on the relationship
between current and magnetic flux density in steady-state
(Eq. 1). As the following equation,
n
∑ jBðI i Þj
Bsavg ¼ i¼1 = n
where Ii is the current value taken every 20 ms. The Bsavg
for one period of each waveform is calculated. The mag-
netic flux density in the steady state is the reference stan-
dard, and the magnetic flux density loss/gain coefficient
(τ) relative to the steady-state under different current
change modes is calculated by Eq. (4):
τ ¼ Bavg=Bsavg
Signal conditioner
(CDV-700A)
LCB03
Logger (midi
1.5 mm LOGGER GL240)
Pole Magnetic cluster
Power supply
Coil
(PCR 1000LA)
Fig. 5 Schematic diagram of finishing force measurement system
2475
Electrolytic iron powder, 75 μm in mean dia:1.2 g
WA#8000: 0.3 g,
Oily grinding fluid (Honilo 988): 0.8 ml
350 rpm
0 mm/min
1.5 mm
0.9 A to 4 A(Step 0.1 A)
It can be seen from τ that in the case of alternating current
(A and B waveforms), the average magnetic flux density is
weakened (refer to steady-state magnetic flux density). In the
case of the direct current and the current intensity changes
periodically (D, E, F, G, and H waveforms), the average mag-
netic flux density is enhanced (refer to the steady-state mag-
netic flux density).
It can be seen that under different waveforms, the maxi-
mum value of the magnetic flux density is the same as the
corresponding maximum value under the steady state (Fig.
4). When the current waveform is D waveform, F waveform,
G waveform, and H waveform, the minimum value of the
magnetic flux density is not zero.
By comparing the average value of the magnetic flux den-
sity (Bavg), it can be seen that when the current waveform is C
waveform, Bavg is the largest. Comparing the B waveform and
the C waveform, it can be seen that when the current direction
ð3Þ
changes, the magnetization process of the magnetic pole
causes the Bavg value of the B waveform to be smaller than
that of the C waveform. In the A waveform, in addition to the
effects of magnetization and demagnetization, the main reason
is that the increase rate of the magnetic flux density decreases
as the current increases. Therefore, Bavg of the A waveform is
smaller than the C waveform. In D waveform, E waveform, F
waveform, G waveform, and H waveform, Bavg is smaller than
ð4Þ the C waveform. The reason is that the increased rate of mag-
netic flux density decreases with the increase of current.
Comparing the A waveform and the D waveform, it can be
1
0.8
Finishing force (N)
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 1 2 3 4
Current (A)
Fig. 6 The relationship between finishing force and current
2476 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483

1
the fluctuation of the magnetic clusters not only causes
the finishing force to change continuously but also re-
0.8 places the abrasive particles in contact with the work-
Finishing force (N)

piece. In order to analyze the influence of these factors

on the finishing characteristics, first, the finishing force is
0.6
measured. The measuring method of finishing force is
shown in Fig. 5. For different waveforms, set the average
0.4 current value to 1.9 A. Except for the current value, the
measurement conditions are the same as those shown in
Table 1. The change of finishing force in the above 8
0.2
current waveforms was measured. In order to improve
the accuracy of the measurement results, the magnetic
0
compound fluid is not replaced in the measurement of
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
the finishing force, which ensures that the magnetic clus-
Magnetic flux density (mT) ters have the same state. The change curve of finishing
Fig. 7 The relationship between finishing force and magnetic flux force is shown in Fig. 10. It can be seen that the average
density finishing force of A waveform and B waveform is basi-
cally the same, which is smaller than other waveforms.
seen that a higher Bavg value can be obtained without changing The average finishing force of D waveform is greater than
the direction of the current. By comparing the Bavg values of E that of A waveform, which can be concluded that when
waveform, F waveform, G waveform, and H waveform, it can the direction of the magnetic field remains unchanged, the
be found that as the duty cycle increases, the average value of loss of finishing force can be reduced. In the pulse cur-
the magnetic flux density gradually increases. rent, as the duty cycle increases, the average finishing
force increases. Although the average current is the same,
3.3 The effect of current waveform on finishing force the increase rate of finishing force gradually decreases as
the current intensity increases. In the case of the C wave-
The magnitude of the finishing force is very important for form, the average finishing force value is only slightly
material removal and improvement of surface finish. smaller than the H waveform. This is mainly because as
Generally, the amount of material removal is proportional the current intensity increases, the rate of increase of the
to the magnitude of the finishing force. In this process, finishing force will decrease.

3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
Current (A)
Current (A)
Current (A)

Current (A)

1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
-1 -1 -1 -1
-2 -2 -2 -2
-3 -3 -3 -3
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Time (s) Time (s) Time (s) Time (s)
(1) A waveform (2) B waveform (3) C waveform (4) D waveform
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
= 0.7 = 0.8 = 0.9
Current (A)

= 0.6
Current (A)
Current (A)
Current (A)

1 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
-1 -1 -1 -1
= 0.4 -2 = 0.3 -2 = 0.2 -2 = 0.1
-2
-3 -3 -3 -3

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2

Time (s) Time (s) Time (s) Time (s)
(5) E waveform (6) F waveform (7) G waveform (8) H waveform
Fig. 8 Current waveform
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483 2477

Fig. 9 Magnetic flux density variation curve

2478 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483

Fig. 10 Finishing force variation

curve

4 Finishing experiment 4.1 Experimental conditions and method

According to the previous measurement and analysis of the
magnetic field and the finishing force, the changes in the mag-
netic field and the finishing force are different under different
current waveforms. Therefore, in this section, the effects of
different current waveforms on finishing characteristics are
investigated through experiments.
In these experiments, the influence of current waveform on
finishing characteristics was discussed. The experimental con-
ditions are shown in Table 2. The workpiece is SUS304 (JIS)
stainless steel plate. The finishing time is 40 min, and the
workpiece is cleaned and measured every 10 min. The current
waveform used in the experiment is shown in Fig. 8. In

Table 2 Experimental conditions

Workpiece SUS304 stainless steel plate with the size of 100 mm × 100 mm × 1 mm

Magnetic particles Electrolytic iron powder, 75 μm in mean dia:1.2 g

Abrasive particles WA#8000: 0.3 g
Grinding fluid Oily grinding fluid (Honilo 988): 0.8 ml
Rotational speed of magnetic pole 350 rpm
Feed speed of mobile stage 260 mm/min
Working gap 1.5 mm
Current 1.9 A (average)
Finishing time Single 10 min (40 min)
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483 2479

A waveform Ra B waveform Ra A waveform Ra D waveform Ra

A waveform M B waveform M A waveform M D waveform M
300 12 300 10
9
Surface roughness Ra (nm)

Surface roughness Ra (nm)

250 10 250

Material removal M (mg)

8

Material removal M (mg)

7
200 8 200
6
150 6 150 5
4
100 4 100
3
50 2 2
50
1
0 0 0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Finishing time T (min) Finishing time T (min)
Fig. 11 The effect of current waveform shape on material removal and Fig. 13 The effect of current direction change on material removal and
surface roughness surface roughness

different current waveforms, the average current is 1.9 A.
Except for C waveform and D waveform, the frequencies of
other waveforms are all 1 Hz. The D waveform is obtained
after the A waveform is full-wave rectified, so the frequency
of the D waveform is 2 Hz. First, in order to determine the
influence of the waveform shape on the finishing
characteristics, the A waveform and the B waveform are com-
pared. Secondly, it compares the influence of current direction
change (A waveform and D waveform) on finishing charac-
teristics. Finally, the most suitable current waveforms for im-
proving finishing efficiency and surface quality were
discussed.

4.2 Experimental results and discussion

4.2.1 Influence of current waveform shape

The experimental results are shown in Fig. 11. It can be seen

that after 40 min of finishing, the material removal of the B
waveform is 10.21 mg, and the material removal of the A
waveform is 8.64 mg. The amount of material removal of
the B waveform is about 1.18 times that of the A waveform.
At the same time, better surface quality is obtained in the B
B position C position
waveform. Through the analysis of the magnetic flux density
(a) A waveform (*Workpiece position) and finishing force, it can be found that the average magnetic

(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position

(a) A waveform (*Workpiece position)

B position C position
(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position
(b) B waveform (*Workpiece position) (b) D waveform (*Workpiece position)
Fig. 12 Changes in magnetic cluster fluctuations (A waveform and B Fig. 14 The lowest and highest position of the magnetic cluster during
waveform) fluctuations (A waveform and D waveform)
2480 Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483

C waveform Ra E waveform Ra
flux density and average finishing force of the A waveform
F waveform Ra G waveform Ra
and the B waveform are about the same.
H waveform Ra C waveform M
In order to better analyze the difference between the two
E waveform M F waveform M
waveforms, a high-speed camera is used to observe the fluc-
G waveform M H waveform M
300 14 tuation behavior of the magnetic cluster. The shooting fre-
quency of a high-speed camera is 1000 FPS. When shooting,
250 12 the amount of magnetic particles, abrasive particles, and
Surface roughness Ra (nm)

Material removal M (mg)

grinding fluid is the same as in the experiment, and the rota-
10
200 tion speed and feed speed of the magnetic pole are both 0. As
8 shown in Fig. 12, tA is when the magnetic cluster just fluctu-
150 ates down to the lowest position, tB is when the magnetic
6 cluster just fluctuates up to the highest position, and tC is
100 before the magnetic cluster starts to fall significantly.
4
Therefore, in a fluctuation cycle, the magnetic cluster will
50 2 fluctuate from the lowest position (tA) up to the highest posi-
tion (tB), stay for a period of time (tB to tC), and then fluctuate
0 0 down to the lowest position (tA) to complete the fluctuation
0 10 20 30 40
cycle. The magnetic cluster completes the cycle and renewal
Finishing time T (min)
of abrasive particles during the up and down fluctuations and
Fig. 15 The effect of pulse current on material removal and surface at the same time has a higher finishing efficiency near the
roughness
highest position (tB to tC).
According to Fig. 12, it can be seen that there is a signifi-
cant difference in the fluctuation speed of the magnetic clus-
ters. When the current waveform is the B waveform, the mag-
netic clusters fluctuate at a faster speed. In one cycle (500 ms),
the duration of the magnetic cluster at the highest position is
5 mm 5 mm about 325 ms in the A waveform, and the duration of the
magnetic cluster at the highest position is about 384 ms in
* * the B waveform. Obviously, the magnetic cluster stays in
the high-efficiency finishing state for a longer time in the B
(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position waveform. Therefore, a higher amount of material removal is
(a) E waveform (*Workpiece position) obtained in the B waveform, and better surface quality is ob-
5 mm 5 mm tained at the same time.

4.2.2 Effect of current direction change

* *

(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position In order to compare the influence of the change of the current
direction on the finishing characteristics, the A waveform and
(b) F waveform (*Workpiece position)
the D waveform were compared. The experimental results are
5 mm 5 mm shown in Fig. 13. It can be seen that the amount of material
removed in the D waveform is more than that in the A wave-
* * form. This is because the average finishing force in the D
waveform is higher than that in the A waveform. The surface
(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position quality obtained in the A waveform is slightly better than the
(c) G waveform (*Workpiece position) D waveform. This is because the fluctuation amplitude of the
magnetic cluster is different between the A waveform and the
5 mm 5 mm
D waveform, so the renewal and mixing effect of the abrasive
particles is different.
* * Figure 14 shows the lowest and highest positions of mag-
netic cluster fluctuations in the A waveform and D waveform.
(1) The lowest position (2) The highest position Obviously, the fluctuation amplitude of the magnetic cluster is
(d) H waveform (*Workpiece position) larger in the A waveform. This makes in the case of A wave-
Fig. 16 The effect of duty cycle on magnetic cluster fluctuation form the ability of the magnetic cluster to renew and mix the
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483 2481

abrasive particles is stronger during the finishing process, and
the abrasive distribution is more uniform. Therefore, the sur-
face quality of the A waveform is slightly better than the D
waveform.
4.2.3 Explore the optimal current waveform
According to the results of the previous two experiments, in
the case of a square wave, the magnetic cluster fluctuates up or
down faster, so the finishing efficiency is higher than that of a
sine wave. At the same time, when the current direction does
not change, a higher average finishing force can be obtained,
but due to the reduction of the fluctuation range of the mag-
netic cluster, the renewal and mixing effect of abrasive parti-
cles is reduced. Therefore, the experiment uses pulse wave-
forms to obtain faster magnetic cluster fluctuation speed and
higher average finishing force. At the same time, in order to
further improve the finishing efficiency and surface quality,
the optimal magnetic cluster fluctuations is explored by
changing the duty cycle.
The experimental results are shown in Fig. 15. It can be
found that in the case of the C waveform, after finishing, the

28 nm Ra 28 nm Ra

=29.82 nm =10.47 nm =25.64 nm =11.24 nm

(1) A waveform (2) B waveform

48 nm Ra 24 nm Ra

=49 nm =24.02 nm =25.09 nm =10.36 nm

(3) C waveform (4) D waveform

21 nm Ra 20 nm Ra

=20.55 nm =10.88 nm =21.27 nm =8.07 nm

(5) E waveform (6) F waveform

13 nm Ra 15 nm Ra

=12.91 nm =4.03 nm =15.09 nm =4.52 nm

(7) G waveform (8) H waveform
Fig. 17 3D photo of workpiece surface after finishing
2482
Material removal rate MRR (mg/min)
amount of material removal is the lowest, and the surface
quality is the worst compared to other waveforms. This is
because during the finishing process, the abrasive particles
are pressed into the magnetic cluster, which causes the number
of abrasive particles in contact with the workpiece to gradually
reduced. In the case of the C waveform, the magnetic cluster
will not fluctuate, so it is difficult to update the abrasive par-
ticles in contact with the workpiece, resulting in low finishing
efficiency and poor surface quality.
In the case of other waveforms, the magnetic cluster will
fluctuate as the current changes. When the current becomes
zero, the magnetic cluster will fluctuate downward, and when
the current becomes the maximum, the magnetic cluster will
fluctuate upward. The time when the current is zero will affect
the fluctuation range of the magnetic cluster. As shown in Fig.
16, it is the highest position and the lowest position in the
magnetic cluster change cycle. It can be seen that in the case
of four waveforms, the magnetic cluster is basically the same
at the highest position, but is significantly different at the
lowest position. As the duty cycle decreases, the amplitude
of magnetic cluster fluctuations gradually becomes larger. In
the case of the E waveform, the magnetic cluster completely
falls back to the tray when it is in the lowest position. In
addition, according to the previous analysis of the finishing
force, as the duty cycle increases, the average finishing force
increases. According to Fig. 15, the amount of material re-
moval in the G and H waveforms is similar and higher than
other waveforms. However, in the case of the G waveform,
the surface quality is the best. Therefore, according to the
experimental results, in the case of G waveform (duty ratio
of 80%), magnetic cluster fluctuation is more suitable for im-
proving finishing efficiency and surface quality.
The workpieces are measured through Zygo
NewView7300. Each workpiece was measured 11 times at
equal intervals along the cross-sectional direction (perpendic-
ular to the feed direction). The average value of the 11 mea-
surements is calculated, and the 3D photo of the measurement
result closest to the average value is shown in Fig. 17. In Fig.
17, Ra is the surface roughness (arithmetic mean height) of the
display area, AvgRa is the average of the measurement results,
and SD is the standard deviation. It can be seen that in the G
and H waveforms, the surface quality of the finished work-
piece is better than the other 6 waveforms. And in the G
waveform, the surface roughness is slightly better than the H
waveform. Therefore, under the current experimental condi-
tions, the G waveform is more suitable for improving
finishing efficiency and surface quality.
Figure 18 shows the material removal rate at different cur-
rent waveforms. It can be seen from the figure that the highest
material removal rate is obtained under the G waveform. MRR
is improved by about 1.7 times compared with C waveform
(static magnetic field), and it is improved by about 1.45 times
compared with A waveform.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
A B C D E F G H
Current waveform
Fig. 18 Material removal rate
5 Conclusions
This paper studies the relationship between the magnetic field
and the finishing force. The changes in the magnetic field and
finishing force when the coils are supplied with currents of
different waveforms are discussed. The effects of these chang-
es on finishing characteristics were investigated through ex-
periments. The main conclusions are summarized as follows:
1. The study proved that changing the current waveform can
effectively improve the finishing efficiency and surface
quality.
2. In the steady state, when the working gap is 1.5 mm and
the current is between 0.9 and 4 A, there is a linear rela-
tionship between the finishing force and the magnetic flux
density on the magnetic pole axis.
3. In the case of alternating current (A and B waveforms),
the average magnetic flux density is weakened (refer to
steady-state magnetic flux density). In the case of the di-
rect current and the current intensity changes periodically
(D, E, F, G, and H waveforms), the average magnetic flux
density is enhanced (refer to the steady-state magnetic
flux density).
4. When the current waveform is a square wave, the magnetic
cluster fluctuates up and down faster than a sine wave.
5. When the average current is 1.9A, the average finishing
force is greater when the current supplied to the coil is
direct current (C, D, E, F, G, and H waveform).
6. Through experiments, in this experimental condition, a
pulse current waveform with a duty cycle of 80% can
achieve higher finishing efficiency and better surface
quality. The material removal rate is 1.7 times that of
the static magnetic field (C waveform) and 1.45 times that
of the sinusoidal alternating magnetic field (A waveform).
Availability of data and material Not applicable.
Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2021) 114:2471–2483
Authors’ contributions All authors contributed to the research, writing,
and reviewing of the paper.
Declarations
Ethics approval Not applicable.
Consent to participate Not applicable.
Consent for publication All authors agree to transfer copyright of this
article to the publisher.
Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.
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