Abrasive flow machining

Abrasive flow finishing

Requirements:
1. Development in the area of material science
2. Time demand for better quality and lower
cost.
3. Decreased lead time
To meet such requirements AFM has been
developed.
 It is a kind of process in which a small quantity
of material is removed by flowing a semisolid
abrasive laden putty over the surface to be
finished.
This process was developed basically to
deburr, polish and radius difficult to-reach
surfaces and edges by flowing abrasive laden
polymer, to and fro in two vertically opposed
cylinders
 The medium (a mixture of visco-elastic
material, say, polyborosiloxane, additives and
abrasive particles) enters the workpiece
through the tooling.
The abrasive particles (SiC, Al2O3, CBN,
diamond) penetrate the workpiece surface
depending upon the extent of the radial force
acting on them.
Working principle
 Due to the tangential/axial force, the material
is removed in the form of microchips.
The medium is recirculated until the
concentration of foreign particles increases to
a level such that its finishing rate decreases
substantially.
 Elements of AFM
The tooling,
The machine, and
The medium
The tooling confines and directs the medium
flow to the areas where abrasion is desired.
The machine controls the extrusion pressure,
which controls the medium flow rate.
 The media acts as a self-deformable stone and
can finish concave, convex as well as complex-
shaped components.
Abrasive Water Jet Cutting (AWJC)
Applicable to metal and non-metals.