Simulation of finishing operations based on an implicit representation of surfaces

Abstract

The manufactured surface textures after machining operations may require the use of an abrasion operation in order to meet expected requirements. In this context, the simulation of the entire manufacturing process from machining to abrasion finishing could significantly improve the parameters involved in manufacturing. The simulation of the abrasion requires to handle a high number of interactions between the workpiece and abrasive grains as well as complex mechanical behavior during material removal. Considering numerical and physical constraints, a novel model for abrasion simulations based on an implicit surface representation has been developed which allows macroscopic simulations of surface topography resulting from abrasion. The surface is embedded in a scalar field, so that the removal action occurs throughout the modification of the volumetric data rather than an explicit interaction with the surface. In this article, the implicit model is enriched in order to be able to integrate the surface topography of the previous machining operation. Thus, the simulation of the resulting surface topography for an entire manufacturing process has been performed successfully. Several experiments have been carried out and analyzed in order to evaluate the proposed model. The comparison between simulations and experimental results validates the consistency of the model regarding real abrasion finishing processes.