AERONAUTICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Abrasive Flow Machining : Major Research Areas & Analysis
Abrasive flow machining also known as abrasive flow deburring or extrude honing, is an interior surfac e finishing process characterized by flowing an abras ive-laden fluid through a work piece. This fluid is typically very viscous, having the consistency of p utty, or dough. In this paper, the main purpose of the process is to investigate the surface finishing of die steel with the use of abrasive flow machining. Grinding medium is pressed along the contours at a defined p r ssure and temperature. Depending on the respectiv e machining task, different specifications of media a re used. The surface finishing is better with use o f abrasive flow machining process as compared to other flow ma chining processes.
Investigation of One-way Abrasive Flow Machining and In-process Measurement of Axial Forces
Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is an abrasive machining process used to machine internal geometries like bores in terms of deburring and finishing the surface with high performance. A silicate-based medium is forced through the internal geometries of a work piece by a hydraulic cylinder. The medium contains a certain amount of abrasive particles like carbide or diamond which influence the removal rate and surface quality. E.g. components of fuel injection systems are treated with the process in order to withstand higher internal pressures. One goal is the improvement of the surface quality whereas the other one is the reduction of stress concentrations at bore intersections due to the abrasive deburring and defined rounding. This paper presents results of a parameter study that was used to identify the influence of medium pressure and lead time on the surface quality and form tolerance. A commonly used automotive steel AISI 4140 was used for the investigation. Additionally, an in-process measurement setup was developed in order to measure the influence of the applied medium pressure on the machined part of the work piece with the help of an axial force sensor.
Developing a Process Model for Abrasive Flow Machining
Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is a unique machining method used to achieve high surface quality on inner, difficult-to-access contours and on outside edges. Using AFM, it is possible to deburr complex shaped intersecting holes and to realize pre-defined edge rounding on any brittle or hard material. Moreover it is easy to integrate into an automated manufacturing environment. Reproducibility of results saves various time and cost consuming manual operations in industrial applications. However for an implementation in new applications costly and time-consuming preliminary investigations are required that have to be carried out by trained staff. Therefore the aim of recent research activities is to identify the fundamentals of the process, the functional correlations between setting parameters and work results. This paper presents an approach using a numerical simulation to develop a process model. Furthermore a model is introduced that describes the fundamental principles of the deburring process using AFM.