Simulation of the metallic powder mixing process and deterministic formation of homogeneity

Abstract

This paper describes a mathematical model simulating the process of deterministic formation of a homogeneous mixture for making diamond abrasive tools. The process of modelling was divided into a few steps: – determining the capacity of the screw feeders; – determining how far the material is thrown by the screw; – building a cross-section of the distributed material; – determining the concentration of components within the microareas of a given size and calculating the mixture quality. The model provides a detailed description of the dosing process. They are the parameters of this process that mainly determine the quality of the resultant mixtures giving them a well-organized structure so that the diamond grains were distributed in the cutting metal layer as evenly as is desired. The obtained results have been verified through a series of full-scale experiments conducted in a special-design mixer. Thanks to this process, the resultant tool has a higher performance as compared with the one produced with the help of existing techniques.