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Abstract: Finishing of complex shaped components needs advanced finishing processes to produce nano level surface finish. Abrasive flow finishing (AFF) process uses abrasive mixed polymer as a medium to finish complex shapes. The medium should possess three basic properties i.e., better flow ability, self deformability and abrading ability to finish the given surface to nano scale. Various flow and deformation properties of the medium can be investigated by rheological characterization. In the present work, different media are made using specially co-polymered soft styrene butadiene based polymer, plasticizer and abrasives. Static and dynamic rheological properties of these in-house prepared media are evaluated, and it is found that these media follow viscoelastic behavior with shear thinning nature. For a small rise in temperature, the medium starts losing its original properties. In the present work, static (flow test, creep compliance test, stress relaxation test) and dynamic (amplitude sweep and frequency sweep) rheological properties are measured. Finishing experiments are carried out on Al alloy as well as its metal matrix composites using rotational abrasive flow finishing (R-AFF) process. Later, the effect of each rheological parameter such as shear stress, % viscous component, stress relaxation modulus and storage modulus on the change in average surface roughness (ΔR a ) and material removal rate during R-AFF is found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study focus on abrasive flow finishing (AFF), a process that finishes complex internal and external geometries with the help of viscoelastic abrasive medium, while keeping in mind its low finish and material removal rates (MRR). Researchers have often strived to improve finishing rate and MRR. As an attempt to overcome the said limitations, this paper discusses rotational abrasive flow finishing (R-AFF) process wherein complete tooling is externally rotated and the medium reciprocates with the help of hydraulic actuators. In this study, preliminary experiments are conducted on Al alloy and Al alloy/SiC metal matrix composites (MMCs) at different extrusion pressures, and medium compositions are employed for finding optimum conditions of the same for higher change in roughness (ΔR a ). The same optimum conditions are used to study the effect of workpiece rotational speed on (ΔR a ), material removal (MR), change in workpiece hardness and surface topology. It is noted that as the workpiece rotational speed increases from 2 to 10RPM, the experimental helix angle decreases from 22° to 9° and the helical path length increases from 67 to 160mm. Based on these findings the mechanism of material removal of matrix and reinforcement in MMC using R-AFF have been proposed. Here the matrix material is removed by micro-cutting and three methods of material removal mechanisms for reinforcement are also explained. The scientific logic behind finishing mechanism of matrix and reinforcement, cross hatch patterns, helical path directions, micro-scratch (μ-scratch) width and depth variation with size, orientation and support that active abrasive grain obtains from neighboring abrasives is derived from scanning electron microscopy micrographs. Finally this study establishes that R-AFF can produce 44% better ΔR a and 81.8% more MR compared to the AFF process. Accordingly, R-AFF generates micro cross hatch pattern on the finished surface that can improve lubricant holding capabilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Surface roughness is one of the critical parameters that affect the component performance during its working life. To develop any process to its full potential, it is necessary to understand the physics of that process. Abrasive flow finishing (AFF) is one of the advanced finishing processes. In the current research work, an effort is made to understand physics and mechanism of surface roughness improvement during the AFF process. This research paper is divided into two sections. Firstly, the amount of finishing stresses and forces generated during the finishing of microholes fabricated on surgical stainless steel (316L) workpieces are computed by using the finite element method. Finishing stresses are generated in the viscoelastic medium. So, to compute finishing stresses, finite element analysis of the viscoelastic medium is carried out by incorporating its experimentally measured rheological properties. Finishing stresses are calculated along the circumferential direction of the microhole. Later, at the same workpiece surface location, simulated and experimentally measured surface roughness value are compared. Secondly, a new simulation model is proposed to predict the surface roughness on the microhole wall surface for various AFF input parameters. Maximum percentage change in surface roughness error of 8% is observed between simulated and experimental results after AFF process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]