Abrasive flow machining of conical gear molds: apparatus design and process optimization

Finishing freeform surfaces with complex geometries and limited accessibility is a significant challenge in advanced manufacturing. Developing new finishing methodologies that can efficiently polish hard-to-reach areas while minimizing processing time is highly beneficial. Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM) is a non-traditional technique used to enhance surface quality and polishing. This study introduces a novel AFM apparatus designed specifically for finishing the freeform surfaces of conical gear molds. The design of the modified AFM setup was informed by fluid flow simulations, which also provided insights into the pressure distribution of the abrasive media. To evaluate the proposed method both experimentally and analytically, the Taguchi design of experiments approach was utilized. A standard mixed L۱۶ orthogonal array was employed to analyze the effects of key finishing parameters: abrasive mesh size, abrasive concentration percentage, extruding pressure, and the number of finishing cycles. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio response graphs were used to identify the most significant parameters and their optimal combinations. Surface roughness topography and microscopic imaging further validated the effectiveness of the proposed process in achieving the desired surface finish.

کلیدواژه ها:

Abrasive Flow Machining ، Analysis of Variance ، Conical Gear Mold ، Freeform Surfaces ، Mold Finishing