Parametric study of micro machining with instantaneous tiny-grinding wheel based on the magnetorheological effect of abrasive slurry

Based on the MagnetoRheological (MR) effect of abrasive slurry, the particle-dispersed MR fluid is used as a special instantaneous bond to cohere abrasive particles and magnetic particles so as to form a dynamical, flexible tiny-grinding wheel to polish optical glass, ceramic and other brittle materials of millimeter or sub-millimeter scale with a high efficiency. In this paper, experiments were conducted to reveal the effects of process parameters on the machining characteristics of glass surface. Experimental results indicate that the material removal process is dominated by the synergy of the applied pressure and the relative velocity between the abrasives and the polishing workpiece and that the performance of the tiny-grinding wheel depends on the proportion of diamond abrasives dispersed in the MR fluid and the machining gap between the workpiece and the needle-like tool. Furthermore, the material removal mechanisms are described.