EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON ONE-WAY ABRASIVE FLOW MACHINING ON HOT WORK STEEL

Abstract

Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is a process where a semi-solid abrasive-laden media is forced to flow through the internal passages of a workpiece under pressure. In high-resolution work, increased accuracy and faster smooth surface polishing work with the developed motorized AFM prototype. This research presents the effect of the clearance of specimen tools for surface roughness (Ra) of SKD 61 (AISI H13) hot work steel related to AFM. This research experimented with half-spherical specimens. AFM experiments are performed to identify the improved surface roughness when applied to the polishing specimens. Specimens were prepared by being turned, hardened, and polished with sandpaper from number P180 to P1200 and measured with an original value of Ra compared with the final value of Ra at the end of the process. The experimental prototype uses a unidirectional motor drive system different from previously developed machines. The process parameters are as follows: a pressure (p) of 1, 2, and 3 bar, cycle time (t) of 10, 15, and 20 min., an abrasive particle size (Al2O3) of 5.0 μm in Silicon Oil (50 % concentration by weight), hardness of specimens 45±2 HRC, etc. The experimental results show that under these conditions, the average surface roughness of specimens was decreased from an original value of Ra 0.057 to 0.042 μm. The greatest response surface (RSM) was obtained at a pressure of 3 bar and a time of 20 minutes. The result allows for better precision control and further development in industrial applications.