Swirling Fluidized Bed Polishing: A New Non-Conventional Method of Surface Modification

Abstract

Swirling Fluidized Bed Polishing (SFBP) is a non–traditional alternative abrasive flow surface finishing form of Fluidized Bed Machining (FBM) in which the former has special features to overcome certain significant limitations of the latter, namely the variation of the surface roughness vertically along the component surface and the screening effect owing to the complex contours in the work piece geometry. Owing to its ability to perform machining and generate polished surface from a roughness value of Ra 1.2μ to 0.2 μ within 8 hours of processing, this new method offers greater scope in the surface modification of rough machined surfaces with complex geometry such as component with ducts and grooves. This research focus on investigating the effect of abrasive particle concentration on metal removal rate per unit area of the specimen surface. 3D surface morphology analysis investigates the quality of the polished surface and the study of circumferential uniformity and machining accuracy analysis on a complex-contoured component further investigate its scope and relevance in industrial applications.