Analysis on mechanism of material removal rate and surface flow machining process

Abstract

A novel finishing technique called abrasive flow machining (AFM) uses abrasive particles as the instrument for material removal. The term "self-deformable stone" refers to the abrasive particle-containing carrier medium, and AFM is commonly known as "no-tool" precision finishing procedure. AFM involves passing a semi-solid polymer-based medium through the work piece at a specific pressure while adding abrasive particles in a specific amount. The three main parts of the AFM are the machine, the medium, and the tooling or fixture. The machine is made up of a media cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, control system, and frame structure. A typical AFM method uses extrusion pressures ranging from 15 bars to 110–210 bars. Tooling and fixtures serve the purpose of positioning the workpiece and giving instructions to the media as they go over the finished product. A carrier, some additives, and an abrasive powder make up the medium. Since the finite volume approach deals with fluid flow, it can be used to represent the flow of media. For the modelling and simulation in this work, the ANSYS 15 software package's FLUID FLOW FLUENT was utilised. Together with the fixtures, 2D model of a cylindrical workpiece and 3D model of 4 rotating dies have been created. Using the available experimental data, the two models have been validated. For varying volume fractions and media speeds, the most influential flow output characteristics, such as velocity, strain rate, and dynamic pressure have all been examined. The granular and non-granular flows were both simulated using the 3D model. The impact of various abrasive particles with varying volume fraction and diameter on the Skin friction coefficient and granular pressure, two flow output characteristics that have been researched. The outputs' flow analysis provides a forecast for the effectiveness of material removal.