The abrasive flow finishing (AFF) process which was introduced during the late-1960s has emerged as an important non-traditional metal finishing process and is increasingly being utilized by industry. The process has found applications in a wide range of fields such as aerospace, defence, and surgical and tool manufacturing industries. Extrusion pressure, flow volume, grit size, number of cycles, media, and workpiece configuration are the principal machining parameters that control the surface finish characteristics. Recently there has been a trend to create hybrid processes by merging the AFF process with other non-conventional processes. This has opened up new vistas for finishing difficult to machine materials with complicated shapes which would have been otherwise impossible. These processes are emerging as major technological infrastructure for precision, meso, micro, and nano scale engineering. This review provides an insight into the fundamental and applied research in the area and creates a better understanding of this finishing process, with the objective of helping in the selection of optimum machining parameters for the finishing of varied workpieces in practice.
McCartyR. W., Method of honing by extruding. US Patent no. 3 521412, 1970.
2.
KalpakjianS.SchmidS. R., Manufacturing engineering and technology, 2000 (Pearson Education, Asia).
3.
BenedictG. F., Nontraditional manufacturing processes (New York: Marcel Dekker1987).
4.
KimJ. D.KimK. D., ‘De-burring of burrs in spring collets by abrasive flow machining’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.24 (2004): 469–473.
5.
TzengH. J.YanB. H.HsuR. T.LinY. C., ‘Self-modulating abrasive medium and its application to abrasive flow machining for finishing micro channel surfaces’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.32 (2007): 1163–1169.
6.
TzengH. J.YanB. H.HsuR. T.ChowH. M., ‘Finishing effect of abrasive flow machining on micro slit fabricated by wire-EDM’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.34 (2007): 649–656.
7.
LinY. C.ChowH. M.YanB. H.TzengH. J., ‘Effects of finishing in abrasive fluid machining on microholes fabricated by EDM’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.33 (2007): 489–497.
8.
JungD.WangW. L.HuS. J., ‘Microscopic geometry changes of a direct-injection diesel injector nozzle due to abrasive flow machining and a numerical investigation of its effects on engine performance and emissions’Proc. IMechE, Part A: J. Power and Energy222 (A2) (2008): 241–252 DOI: 10.1243/09576509JPE421.
9.
JungD.WangW. L.KnaflA.JacobsT. J.HuS. J.AssanisD. N., ‘Experimental investigation of abrasive flow machining effects on injector nozzle geometries, engine performance and emissions in a DI diesel engine’Int. J. Auto. Technol.9 (2008): 9–15.
10.
El-HofyH., Fundamentals of machining processes (New York: Taylor & Francis2007).
11.
JainV. K., Advanced machining processes (New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers2002).
12.
WilliamsR. E.RajurkarK. P., ‘Stochastic modeling and analysis of abrasive flow machining’Trans. ASME, J. Engng Ind.114 (1992): 74–81.
13.
JainV. K.AdsulS. G., ‘Experimental investigations into abrasive flow machining (AFM)’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.40 (2000): 1003–1021.
14.
RhoadesL. J., ‘Abrasive flow machining: A case study’J. Mater. Process. Technol.28 (1991): 107–116.
15.
KohutT., ‘Surface finishing with abrasive flow machining’. In Proceedings of the Fourth International Seminar on Aluminium extrusion technology, Washington, DC, SME Technical Paper, 1998, pp. 35–42.
16.
FletcherA. J.HullJ. B.MackieJ.TrengoveS. A., ‘Computer modeling of abrasive flow machining process’. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Surface engineering, Toronto, Canada, 1990, pp. 592–601 (Welding Institute, Abington, Cambridge).
17.
LovelessT. R.WilliamsR. E.RajurkarK. P., ‘A study of the effects of abrasive flow machining on various machined surfaces’J. Mater. Process. Technol.47 (1994): 133–151.
18.
GoranaV. K.JainV. K.LalG. K., ‘Experimental investigation into cutting forces and active grain density during abrasive flow machining’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.44 (2004): 201–211.
19.
WilliamsR. E., ‘Acoustic emission characteristics of abrasive flow machining’Trans. ASME, J. Mf. Sci. Engng120 (1998): 264–271.
20.
JainR. K.JainV. K.DixitP. M., ‘Modeling of material removal and surface roughness in abrasive flow machining process’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.39 (1999): 1903–1923.
21.
JainR. K.JainV. K., ‘Finite element simulation of abrasive flow machining’Proc. IMechE, Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture217 (B2) (2003): 1723–1736 DOI: 10.1243/095440503772680640.
22.
JainR. K.JainV. K., ‘Simulation of surface generated in abrasive flow machining process’Robot. Comput. Integr. Mf.15 (1999): 403–412.
23.
JainR. K.JainV. K., ‘Stochastic simulation of active grain density in abrasive flow machining’J. Mater. Process. Technol.152 (2004): 17–22.
24.
GoranaV. K.JainV. K.LalG. K., ‘Prediction of surface roughness during abrasive flow machining’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.31 (2006): 258–267.
25.
HaanJ. J.SteifP. S., ‘Abrasive wear due to the slow flow of a concentrated suspension’Wear219 (1998): 177–183.
26.
JainR. K.JainV. K., ‘Specific energy and temperature determination in abrasive flow machining process’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.4 (2001): 1689–1704.
27.
GoranaV. K.JainV. K.LalG. K., ‘Forces prediction during material deformation in abrasive flow machining’Wear260 (2006): 128–139.
28.
JainR. K.JainV. K., ‘Optimum selection of machining conditions in abrasive flow machining using neural network’J. Mater. Process. Technol.108 (2001): 66–67.
29.
SarahS. Y. L.SmithA. E., ‘Process monitoring of abrasive flow machining using a neural network predictive model’. In Proceedings of the Sixth Conference on Industrial engineering research, Miami, Florida, pp. 477–482.
JainN. K.JainV. K.DebK., ‘Optimization of process parameters of mechanical type advanced machining processes using genetic algorithms’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.47 (2007): 900–919.
32.
MollahA. A.PratiharD. K., ‘Modeling of TIG welding and abrasive flow machining processes using radial basis function networks’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.37 (2008): 937–952.
WaliaR. S.ShanH. S.KumarP., ‘Parametric optimization of centrifugal force-assisted abrasive flow machining (CFAAFM) by the Taguchi method’Mater. Mf. Process.21 (2006): 375–382.
35.
WaliaR. S.ShanH. S.KumarP., ‘Finite element analysis of media used in the centrifugal force assisted abrasive flow machining process’Proc. IMechE, Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture220 (B11) (2006): 1775–1785 DOI: 10.1243/09544054JEM325.
36.
SinghS.ShanH. S., ‘Development of magneto abrasive flow machining process’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.42 (2002): 953–959.
37.
SinghS.ShanH. S.KumarP., ‘Wear behaviour of materials in magnetically assisted abrasive flow machining’J. Mater. Process. Technol.128 (2002): 155–161.
38.
AmitM. W.YadavaV.KhatriA., ‘Simulation for the prediction of surface roughness in magnetic abrasive flow finishing (MAFF)’J. Mater. Process. Technol.190 (2007): 282–290.
39.
JhaS.JainV. K., ‘Design and development of the magneto rheological abrasive flow finishing process’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.44 (2004): 1019–1029.
40.
JhaS.JainV. K., ‘Modeling and simulation of surface roughness in magnetorheological abrasive flow finishing (MRAFF) process’Wear261 (2006): 856–866.
41.
JhaS.JainV. K., ‘Nano-finishing of silicon nitride workpieces using magnetorheological abrasive flow finishing’Int. J. Nanomanuf.1 (2006): 17–25.
42.
JhaS.JainV. K.KomanduriR., ‘Effect of extrusion pressure and number of finishing cycles on surface roughness in magnetorheological abrasive flow finishing (MRAFF) process’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.33 (2007): 725–729.
43.
DasM.JainV. K.GhoshdastidarP. S., ‘Analysis of magneto rheological abrasive flow finishing (MRAFF) process’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.36 (5–6) (2008): 613–621.
44.
DasM.JainV. K.GhoshdastidarP. S., ‘Fluid flow analysis of magnetorheological abrasive flow finishing (MRAFF) process’Int. J. Mach. Tools Mf.48 (2008): 415–426.
45.
DabrowskiL.MarciniakM.SzewczykT., ‘Analysis of abrasive flow machining with an electrochemical process aid’Proc. IMechE, Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture220 (B3) (2006): 397–403 DOI: 10.1243/095440506X77571.
46.
KumarT. R., Theoretical and experimental investigation into abrasive flow machining. MTech Thesis, IIT Kanpur, 1998.
47.
JainR. K.JainV. K.KalraP. K., ‘Modeling of abrasive flow machining process-a neural network approach’Wear231 (1999): 242–248.
48.
JainN. K.JainV. K.JhaS., ‘Parametric optimization of advanced fine-finishing processes’Int. J. Adv. Mf. Technol.34 (2007): 1191–1213.
WilliamsR. E.WalczykD. F.DangH. T., ‘Using abrasive flow machining to seal and finish conformal channels in laminated tooling’Rapid Prototyping J.13 (2) (2007): 64–75.
51.
WangA. C.WengS. H., ‘Developing the polymer abrasive gels in AFM process’J. Mater. Process. Technol.192–193 (2007): 486–490.
52.
SankarM. R.RamkumarJ.JainV. K., ‘Experimental investigation and mechanism of material removal in nano finishing of MMCs using abrasive flow finishing (AFF) process’Wear266 (7–8) (2009): 688–698.
