1.

0 Introduction
Abrasive flow machining, also known as abrasive flow deburring or extrude honing, is an
interior surface finishing process characterized by flowing an abrasive-laden fluid through a
work-piece. This fluid is typically very viscous, having the consistency of putty, or dough.
Abrasive materials are hard crystals that are either found in nature or manufactured. The most
commonly used of such materials are Aluminium Oxide, Silicon Carbide, Cubic Boron Nitride
and Diamond.

1.1 Working Principle of AFM

AFM is a finishing process that removes a small quantity of material. It uses semi-
solid, abrasive laden putty through or across a workpiece. It extruded across edges or surfaces
to deburr, radius, polish, remove recast, perform mirror surface machining. The pressure
exerted by the fluid on all contacting surfaces also results in a very uniform finish. AFM may
be performed once, as a one-way flow process, or repeatedly as a two-way flow process.

1.2 Types of AFM

Mainly they are of three types which are:

1.2.1 One Way AFM Process

One-way flow AFM processing pushes abrasive media through the work piece in only one
direction, allowing the media to exit freely from the part. One way AFM process apparatus is
provided with a hydraulically triggered reciprocating piston and an extrusion media cavity
revised to receive and extrude medium uni-directionally across the internal surfaces of a
workpiece having internal passageways formed therein. Fixture directs the flow of the medium
from the extrusion medium chamber into the internal passages of the workpiece, while a
medium collector collects the medium as it extrudes out from the internal channels. The
extrusion medium chamber is provided with an access port to intermittently receive medium
from the collector into extrusion medium chamber. The hydraulically actuated piston
occasionally withdraws from its extruding position to open the extrusion medium chamber
access port to collect the medium in the extrusion medium chamber. When the extrusion
medium chamber is charged with the working medium, the operation is resumed.

1
1.2.2 Two Way AFM Process

The typical two-way flow AFM process uses two vertically opposed cylinders to extrude an
abrasive media back and forth through or around passages formed by the workpiece and
tooling. Abrasive action occurs wherever the media enters and passes through the most
restrictive passages.

2
1.2.3 Orbital AFM Process
In OAFM, surface and edge finishing are achieved by rapid, low-amplitude, oscillations of
the work piece relative to a self-forming elastic plastic abrasive polishing tool. The tool is a
pad or layer of abrasive-laden elastic plastic medium (similar to that used in two way abrasive
flow finishing), but typically higher in viscosity and more in elastic.
Orbital AFM combines abrasive flow machining and orbital grinding. An additional
mechanical motion is given to the medium to enable it polish three dimensional forms that are
not possible with conventional AFM. The motion is typically a planetary oscillation that creates
relative displacement between tooling and the work piece. The oscillations can be in the vertical
or horizontal or combination of both the planes, yielding an elliptical or gyratory polishing
action. Orbital polishing is made used in polishing the edges and surfaces in complex shapes
and cavities such as bottle molds, coining dies and aluminium wheels along with high precision
and accuracy.

3
1.3 Main Components of AFM and Process Parameters
The key components of AFM process are the machine, tooling and abrasive medium. Process
input parameters such as extrusion pressure, number of cycles, grit composition and type,
tooling and fixture designs have impact on AFM output responses (such as surface finish and
material removal). The axial forces in AFM are highly subjected to the behaviour of the AFM
medium. The flow pattern of the AFM medium depends on the machining parameters, the
characteristics of the applied medium, as well as the shape of the work piece and the tooling.
We know that on increasing the piston speed, fraction concentration of grain, extrusion
pressure in AFM would increase material removal and decrease the surface roughness value,
while further than a certain value of velocity and pressure, it would worsen due to increase in
depth of indentation, and the minimum surface value is equal to the critical surface roughness.
Work-piece surfaces having single vent for media outflow by abrasive flow machining
produced better results in comparison with work-piece surfaces having multiple vents. Work-
piece surfaces having single vent/passage for media outflow have higher material removal and
more enhancement in surface roughness and the performance measures decrease with increase
in the number of vents for media outflow. The change in surface roughness, ΔRa increases with
the increase in length of the work-piece and decreases with the increase in cross section of the
work-piece. It is also observed that the pressure decreases with increase in length of media flow
travel. In AFM, it has been reported that enhancement in performance could be achieved by
improved fixturing.

4
1.4 Advantages of AFM
 Produces uniform, repeatable and predictable results on an impressive range of
finishing operations.
 Maintain flexibility and jobs which require hours of highly skilled hand polishing can
be processed in a few minutes.
 Better surface roughness values and tight tolerances.
 Can finish both ID and OD of component.
 Fully automated system capabilities.
 Faster setup & quick-change tooling.

1.5 Disadvantages of AFM

 Fixtures can be expensive which requires high capital investment.
 Low finishing rate i.e. slow rate of material removal.
 Regulation of Piston pressure is required.

1.6 Applications
 It is used in Aerospace Industry.
 It has wide applications in Automotive Industry.
 It is used in Medical Industry.
 It is used in Dies and Moulds Industry.
 It is used in surface finishing of complex surfaces.

5
2.0 Project Objective
This Project includes following objectives:
1. Literature Review
2. Development of Setup model using SOLIDWORKS.
3. Purchasing of Components & required materials as per specifications.
4. Assembly & Fabrication of experimental setup.
5. Conduct experiments.
6. Analysis of experiment.
7. Write a paper.

3.0 Methodology
 First we develop a setup model of two way AFM using SOLIDWORKS.
 Then as per specifications, we purchase the required materials and components required
for fabrication of apparatus,
 Then we start the assembly and fabrication process of two way AFM apparatus.
 After fabrication of setup, we do experiments on work pieces.
 Then we do analysis of the experiments done on work-pieces.
 Repeat the above processes if required.
 After this we do surface roughness calculations of the experimental results and analyze
the data.

6
4.0 References
 M. Ravi Sankar, V.K.Jain, J. Ramkumar, Abrasive flow machining (AFM): An
Overview
 Rhoades L.J., Abrasive flow machining, Manufacturing Engineering, (1988), pp.75-78.
 Rhoades L.J., Kohut T.A., Nokovich N.P., Yanda D.W., Unidirectional abrasive flow
machining, US patent number 5,367,833, Nov 29th, 1994.
 Williams R.E., Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Abrasive Flow Machining,
Transaction of the ASME, 120, (1998), 264- 271.
 Wikipedia