Abstract
The absence of conventional abrasives is desirable for reducing or eliminating the need for post-finishing cleaning, and therefore creates a more environmentally-conscious process. This research developed iron-based (Fe-1mass%V) gas-atomized magnetic tools with near-spherical shape and micro-crevices on the surface. The micro-crevices perform the role of cutting, thereby achieving finishing without conventional abrasives. The near-spherical shape makes the magnetic tools easy to be introduced inside slender tubes. This studies the finishing characteristics of the developed magnetic tools applied to the internal finishing of SUS304 stainless steel tubes with 0.8 mm inner diameter, and it compares the finishing performance with the existing magnetic abrasive. This shows the feasibility of finishing slender tubes used for the sanitary piping systems using an abrasive-less finishing process with the developed magnetic tools, and the abrasive-less process is comparable in quality to the process using conventional abrasives.
