Material removal analysis during MR polishing of complex gear teeth profiles

Abstract

The geometric intricacy of tiny gears makes nano-finishing difficult. In the current study, the magnetorheological (MR) polishing process is used for the nano-finishing of intricate surfaces of tiny gear components uniformly. For polishing, the technique employs a dynamic fluid recognized as magnetorheological polishing fluid (MRPF), that has the ability to stiffen in the presence of a magnetic field. Base media, iron and abrasive particles are utilized to synthesize the MRPF. Permanent magnets produce the necessary magnetic field in the finishing zone. Finite element analysis (FEA) is utilized to model the iron and abrasive particles to understand better how they would react in the external magnetic field. FEA is utilized to analyze the magnetic flux density (MFD) distributions and the amount of magnetic force exerting on gear profiles through iron particles (IPs). It has been observed that the IPs present close to the active abrasives are primarily accountable for indenting active abrasives into the workpiece surfaces. In addition, the influence of particle dimension on the stiffness of iron particle chains in MRPF has been investigated. A mathematical model for material removal is developed by utilizing normal finishing force analysis on active abrasives. Lastly, the finishing surface characteristics of gear profiles are examined using an optical profilometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and spectroscopic analysis. Finally, 92.68% improvement in the surface finish is observed.