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Abrasive
Flow Machining (AFM)
 Abrasive
Flow Machine (AFM) is a nontraditional machining
process that is used to deburr, polish,
radius, and remove recast layers of critical
components in aerospace, automotive, electronic
and die-making industries. Extrude Hone
patented the Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM)
process in the 1960's as a method to deburr,
polish and radius difficult-to-reach surfaces.
AFM operates by flowing an abrasive laden
viscoelastic compound through a restrictive
passage formed by a workpart/tooling combination.
Inaccessible areas and complex contours
both internal and external can be finished
economically and productively.
The workpiece is hydraulically clamped
between two vertically opposing media cylinders.
The AFM process starts with the lower cylinder
filled with the proper volume of the abrasive
laden media. The media is then extruded
through the work-piece and into the upper
media cylinder. The procedure is reversed
as the media is fed back through the part
and into the lower cylinder. This combination
of one upstroke and one downstroke constitutes
a complete AFM cycle.
AFM can work within areas that are inaccessible
to conventional manual finishing methods.
Unlike conventional processes, AFM can be
fully automated to provide a much more cost-effective
method of finishing extrusion dies and aircraft
and aerospace components.
AFM is used in a wide range of finishing
operations. It can simultaneously process
multiple parts or many areas of a single
workpiece. Inaccessible areas and complex
internal passages can be finished economically
and effectively. Automatic AFM systems are
capable of handling thousands of parts per
day, greatly reducing labor costs by eliminating
tedious handwork. By understanding and controlling
the process parameters, AFM can be applied
to an impressive range of finishing operations
that provide uniform, repeatable, predictable
results. Anywhere that the media can be
forced to flow represents a practical application.
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