Improving surface integrity of GH4169 alloy through magnetic-assisted cutting

GH4169 alloy presents superior properties such as high strength and resistance to high temperature, but possesses poor machinability. To ameliorate the problem and improve the machined surface integrity of GH4169 alloy, this paper focused on the application of magnetic-assisted cutting (MAC) for GH4169 alloy. In the MAC process, a permanent magnetic field (the magnetic field intensity is 0.25 T) was applied to the workpiece material during cutting, and its impact on chip morphology, tool damage and surface integrity was investigated. By comparing to traditional cutting (TC), the introduction of a magnetic field results in a reduction in the chip thickness and minimizes chip serration, leading to smoother cutting process and reduced fluctuations in cutting forces. Meanwhile, the introduction of magnetic field resulted in a substantial decrease in the notch wear and abrasion of cutting tool, and mitigated the excessive growth of built-up edge (BUE), which improved the tool life and machined surface integrity. By analyzing the machined surface at the end of TC and MAC, it was found that the surface roughness at the end of MAC was reduced by 22.4 %. Meanwhile, the cavity, side flow and debris of BUE, which tend to occur in the machined surface during the TC process, are effectively suppressed after MAC. Furthermore, Microstructural analysis of the machined surface indicated an enhancement in the dislocation density on the machined surface layer, suggesting the magnetoplastic effect of the magnetic field on GH4169 alloy.