Investigation into the effectiveness of a centralised magnetic yoke in the magnetorheological finishing technique using shear fluid for SUS 304 material

SUS 304 is a widely used material in various modern industrial applications, particularly in the biomedical field (implantable devices) and the aerospace industry (components in space equipment). Enhancing the surface quality of such components not only reduces friction but also improves the operational performance and reliability of the entire system. This paper presents a magnetic polishing employing a cutting fluid composed of SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 abrasive particles and carbonyl iron particles to improve surface finishing efficiency. The implementation of a focused magnetic field design optimises the influence of magnetic field intensity on the cutting fluid, and the field strength reaches 538 mT in the machining zone. A series of experimental trials is conducted to analyse comprehensively and to evaluate the material removal rates of abrasive particles during surface finishing. Results indicate that abrasive particle size, polishing gap, rotational speed and the alignment of the magnetic disk’s rotation centre substantially affect the cutting force and maximum stress during material removal. Notably, using 2 μm-sized abrasive particles in combination with optimised parameters yields superior surface finishing performance, and surface roughness decreases from 518.92 nm to 8.62 nm. These findings not only provide deeper insights into the material removal mechanisms of abrasive particles in magnetic polishing but also open new directions for enhancing surface quality and machining efficiency in magnetorheological finishing technology. • A polishing process utilizing a shear fluid for SUS 304 material, assisted by a centralized magnetic yoke. • The magnetorheological finishing technique using shear fluid for SUS304 material. • Surface roughness is reduced to 8.62 nm after 60 min, with improved material removal under a centralized magnetic yoke. • An advanced MRF polishing process using SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 abrasives with CIPs to enhance surface finishing efficiency for SUS304 material. • A centralized magnetic yoke optimizes the magnetic field achieving a 2 Tesla intensity for improved shear fluid performance.