Oscillatory Magnetic Field-Assisted Finishing of Internal Surfaces of Complex Additively Manufactured Metal Parts

Additive manufacturing shows promise in enhancing the manufacturing efficiency for both rocket engine components fabricated by NASA and the aerospace manufacturing community as a whole. Directed energy deposition (DED), one such process, has been shown to generate large-scale complex rocket nozzle components, but leaves printing artifacts on the part surface, including unfused metal particles and periodic ridges where the printing head makes passes. These artifacts must be removed for generated parts to meet performance standards. However, accessing internal surfaces on DED parts is a persistent concern, as tooling which can reach these internal surfaces is limited. Oscillatory magnetic field-assisted finishing (OMAF) uses a magnetic tool suspended in a magnetic field to impart polishing force. OMAF is uniquely beneficial as the use of magnetic tooling allows access to internal geometries, as well as precise tool and force control. OMAF using a workpiece oscillation system has shown feasibility in removing both these artifacts, but workpiece oscillation is only effective for short, small parts. To overcome this limitation, this project proposes the use of a magnetically manipulated polishing tool against a stationary workpiece. OMAF using a magnetically manipulated polishing tool is scalable for large, complex workpieces, such as liquid rocket engine nozzle components. This study seeks to develop this oscillation-based magnetic field-assisted polishing technology which can finish the internal surfaces of complex additively manufactured metal parts to enhance the additive manufacturing capability of NASA and broader industry.

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