Experimental evaluation of magnetic abrasive finishing process with diamond abrasive

Magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) is one of the advanced finishing processes, in which, the work-piece is kept between two magnets and cutting force is controlled by the working gap and magnetic field. In this investigation, cylindrical surfaces of stainless steel were processed using MAF process to examine the percentage improvement in surface finish (PISF) and material removal rate (MRR). In order to complete the objective, four input process parameters (current, quantity of magnetic abrasives (MA), rotational speed, and percentage of diamond abrasives) were varied at different levels. Response surface methodology was adopted to investigate the significance of selected parameters. Further, mathematical models were proposed for response characteristics. Results exhibited that all the input parameters are significant for both the responses. The quantity of magnetic abrasives was found to have a major effect on PISF in comparison to the rotational speed. The minimum surface roughness value of Ra 17.7 nm was obtained.