Abrasive flow machining applied to plastic gear matrix polishing

• Published in: International journal of advanced manufacturing technology Vol. 71; no. 1-4; pp. 141 - 151
• Main Authors: Kenda, J., Duhovnik, J., Tavčar, J., Kopač, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.03.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abrasive machining; CAE) and Design; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD; Engineering; Gear teeth; Geometry; Industrial and Production Engineering; Injection molding; Inserts; Mathematical models; Mechanical Engineering; Media Management; Model accuracy; Original Article; Polishing; Process parameters; Surface geometry; Surface properties; Surface roughness; Surface stability; Injection molding; Plastic gears; Polishing; Molding tools; Surface quality; Abrasive flow machining
• ISSN: 0268-3768; 1433-3015
• DOI: 10.1007/s00170-013-5461-4

The topic of this paper is the application of abrasive flow machining (AFM) to gear tool inserts polishing. Polished surface on plastic gear teeth improves surface geometry stability, and it increases the lifespan, which was proved on the gear testing rig. Experiments have shown that it is an efficient alternative to the hand polishing procedure. Besides significant cost and processing time savings, AFM generates constant surface quality. The achieved roughness is homogeneous on the entire machined surface; it is reduced from R a  = 0.68 μm to R a  = 0.08 μm in 120 s. At the same time, the tooth geometry profile is not damaged. The first time, surface polishing should be done at request because of individually manufactured tool inserts. Processing parameters depend on the type of the abrasive machine, the polishing paste and part geometry. Computer-aided abrasive flow analyses and practical experiments assist in setting optimum AFM process parameters. The paper presents a working set of parameters and a detailed report on machined surface measurement data. On the base of better understanding of AFM process, the surface roughness prediction model and thickness of removed material model was setup. It has high accuracy and reliability for specific applications. The use of plastic gears for various applications is widespread; the presented process improvement is an important innovation for injection molding tools manufacturers.