Papers by Author: Kunio Shimada

Abstract: This paper deals with the experimental investigation on the detailed performance of MCF (magnetic compound fluid) polishing liquid (MPL) in nano-precision surface treatment of acrylic resin that is essentially required for producing the model in the process of developing an inaugural mechanical system. The MPL is produced in practice by mixing iron powder, abrasive particle and -cellulose fiber into a MF (magnetic fluid), and hence a kind of functional fluid reacting to magnetic fields. Following the previous works confirming the performance of MPL in the surface finishing of acrylic resin, in this work a series of experiments were conducted to reveal how the process parameters affect the machining characteristics in details in order to establish the new technique. The results showed that a mirror surface can be easily obtained once the process parameters have been set up optimally.

Abstract: Magnetic compound fluid (MCF), a functional fluid responding to magnetic field, is expected for an application to many engineering fields. In this paper, the effect of magnetic fields on the polishing force and the restoring ability of the MCF are studied followed by the proposal of a new polishing technique using the MCF. Under a fluctuating magnetic field generated by a revolution of permanent magnet, the magnetic particles in the MCF show a higher particle disposition and an accumulating action compared to a static magnetic field. Thus the MCF generates the greater restoring ability but the lower polishing force compared to that under the static magnetic field. When the MCF under the fluctuating magnetic field is applied to the polishing as the flexible tool, it shows the high polishing performance. As a result, a feasibility of a new polishing technique using the MCF for a three-dimensional structure is confirmed.

Abstract: This paper deals with the machining of quartz wafers using an MCF (Magnetic Compound Fluid) polishing liquid, frozen with liquid nitrogen. This type of polishing liquid is composed of water-based MF (Magnetic Fluid), iron powder, abrasive particle and α-cellulose, and consequently reacting to magnetic fields. Experiments of polishing quartz wafers using the MCF method were carried out on a previously developed apparatus. The results show that an MCF polishing liquid, frozen with liquid nitrogen, has greater material removal capability than one that has not been frozen. A frozen MCF polishing liquid containing larger abrasive particles yields a higher material removal rate, however the surface roughness deteriorates. The highest material removal rate and the best surface roughness were obtained when the percentage of water, in the frozen MCF polishing tool, was 34.7%.

Abstract: This paper describes an experimental investigation of the effects of the particle blend ratio on surface quality in surface polishing using magnetic polishing liquid (MPL). MPL is produced by mixing sub-micrometer- or micrometer-size abrasive particles into a Magnetic Compound Fluid (MCF), a functional fluid composed of MF(Magnetic Fluid) and MRF (Magneto-rheological Fluid), that reacts with magnetic fields. As a step toward establishing the new surface finishing technology using MPL, it is essential to clarify the effects of the blend ratio of particles to solvent in MPL. For this purpose, first five kinds of kerosene-based MPLs with different blend ratios of particles were prepared, then polishing operations involving stainless steel workpieces were carried out on an experimental rig developed in-house. During the experiments, steady state magnetic fields with different strengths were applied while the contact force between the workpiece and the polishing pad was kept constant. The experimental results showed that the blend ratio of particles affects the work-surface quality significantly. Following SEM and optical microscopy observations of the polished work-surfaces, an appropriate blend ratio, under which the surface roughness improved from the original value of Ra100nm to a final one of Ra24nm after polishing for 30min, was recommended.