Simulation and experimental analysis of abrasive fluidized bed machining process

Abstract

Fluidized bed machining (FBM) was developed for use in polishing, deburring, edge contouring, and other areas for parts with complex geometry. Recently, FMB was studied to determine the final surface roughness of machined 3-dimensional parts. The researchers have been studying the system configuration and FBM process parameters, but most research has focused on experimental approaches and applications of FBM. In this study, experimental studies on the process parameters and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of FBM on a stainless steel 304 (SS304) substrate were performed. Alumina particles were used in FBM experiments. CFD simulations were used to examine the particle velocity in the chamber and the shear stress acting on the SS304 substrate due to changes in the main shaft rotation speed and air pressure during the FBM process. The experimental results show that the material removal rate (MRR) increases as the rotation speed of the specimen increases, and MRR is greatest when the air pressure reaches 0.04 MPa. CFD analysis may be helpful for designing FBM equipment and optimizing FBM process.