2Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Ranchi, 834003, India
Abstract
This study focuses on the enhancement of surface finish quality for copper material workpiece using a superfinishing technique based on single-pole magnetic abrasive finishing with and without the assistance of chemically aided oxidizers. Achieving ultra-smooth copper surfaces is significant for applications in electronics, optics, and precision tooling, where surface integrity plays an important role. A systematic investigation was carried out using a factorial design of experiments to evaluate the influence of key process parameters i.e., polishing speed, feed rate, and working gap viz. for dry and chemically aided conditions. Surface roughness was measured as a response variable. Results indicate that the introduction of chemical oxidizers in the chemically aided conditions significantly improved finishing performance, achieving a minimum surface roughness of 0.0166 µm, compared to 0.0621 µm in dry conditions. Analysis of variance revealed strong interaction effects among process variables, particularly between polishing speed and working gap. Scanning Electron Microscopy confirmed the improvement in surface morphology and uniformity under optimized conditions. This work advances beyond previous efforts signifying the contribution of newly induced finishing process called single-pole magnetic abrasive finishing by establishing the effect of chemical assistance in the finishing of copper workpiece.