Int J Adv Manuf Technol DOI 10.1007/s00170-010-3109-1 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Improving the quality of surface in the polishing process with the magnetic abrasive powder polishing using a high-frequency induction heating source on CNC table Seyed Saeed Mirian & Alireza Fadaei & Seyed Mohsen Safavi & Mahmoud Farzin & Mahmoud Salimi Received: 1 October 2010 / Accepted: 30 November 2010 # Springer-Verlag London Limited 2010 Abstract In this research, polishing flat surfaces has been done by using a completely new and innovative method. In this method, rotary magnetic tool that carry magnetic abrasive powders, is placed in a very strong thermal induction field, and magnetic rotary tool frequently change its direction from clockwise (CW) to counterclockwise (CCW) and CCW to CW. The frequency of changing rotation direction is an important parameter of this innovation method. The intended pieces for polishing operations have been placed on a synchronic two-axis Cartesian CNC table, and the gap between rotary magnetic tool and the sheet surface can be controlled by a power transmission screw operating in the direction of the vertical axis. Several experiments have proved high performance of the new proposed method in the process of polishing. Keywords High-frequency induction heat source (HFIHS) . Data acquisition mechatronics . Abrasive powder polishing . Numerical control . Air gap Nomenclature HAPP Heating-assisted powder polishing PLC Programmable logic control MAP Magnetic abrasive polishing HFIHS High-frequency induction heating source CNC Computer numerically controlled RMT Rotary magnetic tool S. S. Mirian (*) : A. Fadaei : S. M. Safavi : M. Farzin : M. Salimi Isfahan University of Technology, Khomeynishahr, Iran e-mail:
[email protected] 1 Introduction A variety of research has been done in this field, based on which a new approach has been proposed in this paper, by using the fact that heating and cooling of the abrasive powder can improve the process of polishing. The whole experiments carried out indicate success of the method in the average air gaps. Review of the previous works carried out indicates that no measure has been so far undertaken about placing the rotary magnetic abrasive powder in a very intense thermal electromagnetic