Numerical simulation of centrifugal force assisted abrasive flow machining

Abrasive flow machining is one of the modern processes for polishing external surfaces, edges and internal surfaces of industrial parts with close tolerances and superior quality. In this method a viscose fluid which includes abrasive grains, will pass through internal and external features under pressure in a reciprocating motion wherein work piece surface gradually achieves desired surface quality. Low removal rate is one of its restrictions in industrial application. Accordingly, to overcome this drawback, application of centrifugal force is proposed by researches to improve the removal rate. In this research abrasive flow machining assisted with centrifugal force has been simulated by ANSYS CFX. Next, using response surface method, design of experiment is done, and variance analysis method is applied to investigate the effect of rotational velocity parameters of work piece, number of cycles and extrusion pressure and also their interaction effects on material removal rate. According to the results, the rotational velocity of work piece and numbers of cycles has a greater effect on the material removal rate than extrusion pressure. In this process, a regression equation is introduced for predicting the material removal rate.