Polishing is a manufacturing method of great importance in the industries involved in transformation of granites and marbles. Studies have shown that this process allows making sleek and shiny materials while improving their life. During the polishing process, dust particles generated can have a significant impact on the air quality in workshops and can endanger the health of workers. The work carried out in this study allowed to pay special attention to the quality of the resulting surface finish and dust emission during polishing.
First, the analysis of industrial practices in Quebec and elsewhere in the world allowed comparing various technological activities on granite, including extraction, cutting, sawing, machining, mechanical polishing and manual polishing. This comparison was based on type of machines used, machining parameters, tools and occupational health and safety.
Secondly, polishing tests were performed according to a 3³–factorial-design on white granite in order to determine the influence of cutting parameters on the surface finish and dust emissions. The experimental conditions used are as follows: tool grit size (60; 80; 100), rotational speed (1500; 2000; 2500 rpm), feed rate (0,762; 1,016; 1,27 m/min), depth of cut (0,0254 mm). It was found that the polished part’s surface finish depends more on abrasive grit size while for dust emission, it is the rotational speed which is the most influent parameter.
| Date | 6 May 2015 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Victor Songmene (Supervisor) |
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Migan, E. (Author),
Songmene (Supervisor),
6 May 2015Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Mechanical Engineering