Evaluation of Surface Roughness Reduction in TPU 95A Samples Using Ferromagnetic Liquid Machining

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (AM) enables complex geometries but struggles with surface finish requirements.
• Achieving specific surface structure parameters remains a challenge in AM, particularly for flexible materials like TPU 95A.
• Conventional methods often fall short in refining the surface quality of AM components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of abrasive treatment using ferromagnetic fluid on the surface roughness of MEX-printed samples.
• To evaluate an unconventional abrasive tool design incorporating neodymium magnets and specific abrasive media.
• To quantify the impact of the treatment on key surface roughness parameters (Sp and Sz).

Main Methods:

• MEX printing of samples using TPU 95A material.
• Development of a novel abrasive tool with asymmetrically distributed neodymium magnets.
• Application of ferromagnetic fluid containing carbonyl iron and silicon carbide as the abrasive medium.
• Conducting experiments across three treatment series (B, C, D) with a control group (A).

Main Results:

• The abrasive treatment significantly influenced surface roughness parameters.
• Series D, utilizing the developed tool and abrasive medium, showed the most substantial reduction in Sp (height of the highest apex) and Sz (maximum height).
• The proposed method offers a promising approach for enhancing surface quality in AM parts.

Conclusions:

• Ferromagnetic fluid abrasive treatment is effective in reducing surface roughness of MEX-printed TPU 95A components.
• The unconventional magnetic tool design contributes to the observed improvements in surface parameters.
• This technique presents a viable solution for overcoming surface finish limitations in additive manufacturing.