New directions for abrasive flow machining

摘要

Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is used to deburr, polish or radius surfaces and edges by flowing a semisolid abrasive media over these areas. The AFM process can be used in a wide range of finishing operations: it can process many areas on a single workpiece or multiple parts simultaneously; inaccessible areas and complex internal passages can be finished economically and productively; automatic systems can handle thousands of parts per day, greatly reducing labor costs by eliminating tedious hand work. Orbital abrasive flow machining (orbital polishing) is an emerging hybrid technology that combines abrasive flow machining and orbital grinding. This combination provides a technology that can uniformly remove material from virtually any complex-shaped component to achieve burr removal, radiusing or surface finish improvement.