Investigation of Mass Magnetic Abrasive Finishing Process on Compressor Blades

Attempts at research across various industries to achieve high-quality surfaces have led to the development of new finishing processes. Magnetic Abrasive Finishing is a novel technique where a magnetic field is employed to control an abrasive tool. Gas turbine compressor blades are among the industrial components requiring high surface quality due to their exposed surfaces. The reduction in surface roughness on these components has a significant impact on the efficiency of motor turbines. This paper focuses on studying the Magnetic Abrasive Finishing process parameters for the free surfaces of Titanium blades. Using a mass Magnetic Abrasive Finishing machine, the influence of powder weight, type of abrasive particles, and gap on the variation of surface roughness is investigated through statistical methods such as the response surface. The fabrication of the machine and determination of magnet polarity are carried out using Maxwell simulation software. The Factorial method is employed for experiment configuration. Mechanically alloyed powders produced by ball mills are used in this study. Results demonstrate that employing the magnetic abrasive method can reduce the surface roughness of the blade by up to 33%. The empirical model derived from regression analysis is utilized to predict the variation in surface roughness. Variance analysis of the experimental results indicates the significance of all studied parameters. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) are employed for a qualitative evaluation of the results.