Wear behavior of materials in magnetically assisted abrasive flow machining

The finish machining of precision components constitutes one of the most challenging and expensive stages in a manufacturing process. Abrasive flow machining (AFM) is a non-traditional machining technique, which is capable of providing excellent surface finish on difficult-to-approach regions on a wide range of components. Not much research work has hitherto been reported regarding process behavior and performance improvement of AFM. This paper reports the results of an experimental study (mixed factorial design) conducted with the objective to understand the mechanism of material removal (MR) and the wear behavior of some materials when processed by AFM and magnetically assisted abrasive flow machining. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used to gain insight into the underlying wear pattern on the surfaces of different materials. The results suggest that the magnetic field has a strong effect on the MR in AFM. Furthermore, the nature of work material plays an important role in controlling the MR on the surface.