The Past and Present of Magnetic Polishing Machines

The development of the magnetic polishing machine embodies a history of technological development, “from theory to practice, from laboratories to workshops.” It was first proposed in 1938, but it was not until recently that it has developed into an efficient piece of industrial equipment.

The Past: The Budding of the Magnetic Polishing Concept and Early Exploration

Magnetic polishing technology was born out of the need for improving existing polishing methods and their inability to cope with the complexity of the shapes of certain workpieces.

There are roughly three stages of development during its embryonic period:

1. Proposal of the concept of magnetic finishing: In 1938, the Soviet engineer Kargolow proposed the concept of «magnetic finishing», providing the theoretical basis for the future development of this technology.

2. Early research activity and preliminary application: Starting from the 1960 s, magnetic abrasive finishing technology research and development activities were carried out in the Soviet Union, and many patents were authorized. In the 1970s, Bulgaria and Germany followed in conducting relevant research activity – Bulgaria even held conferences on related topics. As early as the 1980s, Japan joined in, and outstanding contributions were made in this field. Researchers such as Take Shinmura of Utsunomiya University have developed many types of magnetic abrasive finishing equipment, and studied the relationship between the magnetic field strength and abrasive grain size and the finishing effect.

3. The maturity period: In recent years, researchers have proposed and studied a variety of magnetic polishing processes and their equipment, including magnetorheological polishing, which has achieved fruitful results.

The Present: Technological Maturity and the Leap towards Intelligence

The development process of magnetic polishing machines in China can also be divided into three stages: introduction and digestion, independent development, and intelligent development. Market competition and local manufacturers’ efforts are the main driving forces behind this development. This industry has undergone a period of vicious competition to capture market share, while local companies have responded by investing in research and development to improve performance. The two key factors influencing industry development are the emergence of local manufacturers and the booming downstream market demand:

The Start and Technology Introduction Period of Magnetic Polishing Machines in China (1980s-2000s)

In the 1980s, magnetic polishing machines were introduced to China as a completely new technology in the field of surface treatment. In the 1990s, magnetic polishing machine workshops began to appear in the Pearl River Delta region, including Dongguan. This industry was not very competitive at the time, and the technical content was relatively low. Most local manufacturers focused on replication and introduced a large number of foreign patents.

The Rapid Development and Industry Formation Period (2000s-2020s)

With China’s rise as the «world’s factory», the demand for precision surface treatment has skyrocketed, fueling the rapid growth of the magnetic polishing machine industry. Many local companies have emerged and flourished throughout this period. For instance, Suzhou Guangu Technology Co., Ltd. was founded. In 2004, the National Natural Science Foundation of China approved the National University of Defense Technology’s application for researching magnetorheological jet polishing technology for aspheric surfaces, laying the foundation for China’s research in the field of magnetorheological polishing. The university subsequently developed an ultrasonic vibration-assisted deterministic magnetorheological polishing roughness optimization system as well as a permanent-magnet / electromagnetic hybrid array magnetorheological polishing device, which enabled the improvement of both the polishing accuracy and efficiency. Suzhou Guangu Technology Co., Ltd. , taking full advantage of the theoretical foundation of China’s National University of Defense Technology, has employed the electromagnetic array to polish castings in a batch manner without sacrificing the accuracy of the magnetic polishing machine itself.

Together with the extensive application of rare-earth permanent magnet materials and the continuous improvement of variable-frequency power supplies, magnetic polishing technologies have entered a period of leaping development. With the rise of localization, China’s polishing machine industry has begun to take off, and magnetic polishing technologies have entered China’s processing plants of all sizes.

Simply put, the operating principle of a magnetic polishing machine is that an alternating current powers the stainless steel magnetic pins rotating at high speed to form a large number of flexible abrasive heads. These abrasive heads can reach all the holes and grooves in the workpiece from all angles to gently remove the oxide scale and burrs and brighten the surface without damaging the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece. It solves the shortcomings of traditional metal polishing and grinding machines perfectly.

After 20 years of development, magnetic polishing technologies have become relatively mature, and many practical applications have emerged, and the advantages are reflected in the following aspects:

✅ New energy industry – For instance, in some terminal manufacturers, the copper/aluminum conductive post requires the removal of burrs in the tiny holes and grooves, which can only be cleaned by a magnetic polishing machine for batch processing to avoid short circuits during the assembly process. Just a few dozen minutes later, an entire basket of workpieces can be polished.

✅ Medical device field – For instance, 316L stainless steel medical surgical parts or dental implants abutments require a contaminant-free surface and no scratches. Magnetic flexible polishing can meet the requirements of medical-grade cleanliness.

✅ Automotive precision parts – For instance, small transmission valve bodies or fuel injection parts, the burrs inside the oil circuit are cleaned to avoid oil leakage failures in subsequent processes.

✅ 3C electronics, jewelry – For micro-connectors or profiled silver rings / bracelets / necklaces, it can avoid workpiece dents caused by collisions and achieve consistent polishing brightness.

Among the domestic equipment manufacturers, Suzhou-based Suzhou Guangu Technology has the qualifications of an actual manufacturer with more than ten years of experience in R&D and production of magnetic polishing machines. It has processed thousands of metal workpieces of different materials to form a set of complete process solutions. The factory has established a standardized production management and control system to ensure product quality. The magnetic polishing machine series has passed the ISO 9001 quality management system certification, CE certification, RoHS certification, etc. The accompanying polishing liquid has the official MSDS material safety data. Whether it is large-scale procurement by domestic factories or a single export order from Europe, America, Southeast Asia, and other regions, documents such as customs declaration and factory audit will be prepared to help customers complete the procedures without hassle.

The visible advantages of Guangu magnetic polishing machines include:

✅ Independently tuned magnetic field system, uniform magnetic field distribution ensures uniform polishing effect of workpieces of the same batch, effectively reducing the residual burrs and color differences;

✅ Complete product series – conventional single machine (workshop miniature type), 平移-style machine (automated production line type), etc., suitable for small and medium-sized factories and large-scale factory automated production lines, and a series of metal polishing and grinding machines can be used synchronously;

✅ The electronic control system can flexibly adjust the frequency and processing time, and mature process reference schemes for various materials such as stainless steel, copper, aluminum, zinc alloy, precious metals can be provided;

✅ The machine tool structure is compact and has a high rigidity. Key components are carefully selected to ensure stable and reliable operation during long-term continuous production and with a low failure rate;

✅ Not only can magnetic polishing machine equipment be provided, but also provide comprehensive process guidance such as magnetic pin selection and polishing fluid ratio scheme. The equipment has complete export-related certifications, and both domestic and foreign sales channels have sufficient order volume to help customers complete the customs inspection smoothly.

However, we must also objectively see the limitations of this equipment. After all, there is no perfect polishing equipment in the world:

▶ For ultra-thin and soft materials that are easy to deform or large-size heavy castings, single magnetic polishing may have limited effect, and special working conditions should be considered;

▶ Some workpieces require super-mirror surface processing. It may require a combination of multiple steps before and after to achieve the required effect;

▶ The customization cycle of the fully automatic non-standard assembly line is relatively long. If there are urgent needs, please contact us to reserve a place;

▶ The equipment is self-developed and manufactured. Compared with some low-end assembled equipment on the market, the price may not be the lowest. If the customer pursues the lowest price and does not care about stability, it may not be suitable for long-term cooperation.

The metal polishing industry has a history of nearly a century of development, and from the initial manual polishing, it has gradually developed into automated polishing machines in China, while magnetic polishing machines have revolutionized the metal surface treatment process again and again. It is undeniable that there is no best polishing equipment in the world. Only the most suitable process scheme for your workpiece is the most cost-effective.

If your factory is faced with the problem of precision metal deburring, scratch removal, and oxide layer removal, and you need to find metal polishing / grinding machines or metal surface treatment equipment, but you are not sure whether the workpiece can be processed by a magnetic polishing machine, Suzhou Guangu Technology Co., Ltd. will be happy to provide you with one-on-one consulting and quotation services. According to the materials, size, and daily output of your workpieces, our engineers will provide you with a set of practical metal surface treatment solutions. We look forward to your inquiry.

E-mail: zhihong@szguangu.com

WhatsApp: +86 13328008563

Webpage: www.jsguangu.com

Address: No. 333, Zixu Road, Xukou Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China

For more information about polishing techniques, visit Wikipedia.

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