Advanced Machining Technology for Active Materials

To investigate the effects of machining method on the surface integrity and electrical properties of magnetic materials.
The research seeks to investigate the mechanisms by which the effects that machining (e.g. Mechanical removal - Waterjet and shearing and thermal removal - Laser and EDM) has on the surface integrity and electrical properties of soft magnetic materials. This will include analysis through SEM, EBSD, TEM, and Micro-mechanics to understand the metallurgical changes (e.g. Crystallographic orientations, phase transformations, and the stress conditions) and the mechanisms that are of influence to the magnetic properties.
The research seeks to investigate the machinability of hard magnetic materials which of high brittleness through the mechanical (Waterjet, shearing) and thermal (Laser, EDM) machining methods. To investigate the crystallographic changes (intergranular GB phases as well as crystal alignment to the easy axis of magnetisation) from the machining effect and their influence to the magnetic properties.