Ohio is a diverse state with a strong economy supported by a wide range of industries, including healthcare, financial service, technology, and energy production. The largest by far is the state’s manufacturing sector, which includes automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, chemicals, and plastics companies. It’s estimated that manufacturing accounts for around 17% of the state’s GDP.
Many of these manufacturers use abrasive flow machining (AFM) as part of their finishing processes. AFM provides an effective way to smooth, polish, and remove unwanted material from metal, plastic, or ceramic part. It can reach complex surfaces, interior passages, and other areas that are hard to reach by other finishing methods.
The AFM Process
AFM uses abrasive flow media, also known as extrude hone media, to finish a part. The extrude hone media is an abrasive-filled polymer compound specially formulated for use on a particular material. The extrude hone media is forced against and across the external and internal surfaces of a workpiece using a hydraulic or pneumatic system. This action erodes away burrs and other imperfections while evenly smoothing and polishing the piece.
Advantages of AFM
AFM provides many advantages to manufacturers, including:
- AFM can achieve extremely high levels of accuracy, ensuring the finished part meets the required specifications.
- AFM can produce surface finishes that are smoother and more uniform than can be achieved with other finishing methods.
- The AFM process produces consistent surface finishes and repeatable results
- AFM is ideal for parts with complex geometries and internal passages that are hard to reach using other finishing processes.
- AFM is often a more cost-effective option than other finishing methods, especially when finishing large or complex parts. AFM can be automated and is capable of processing multiple parts at the same time.
- AFM doesn’t use cutting tools, so there’s no risk of tool wear or damage to a workpiece.
Extrude Hone Media
Extrude hone media is a mixture of abrasive particles and a viscoelastic medium, usually a polymer, that is used to remove material from the surface of a workpiece during the AFM process. Many different types of abrasive materials are used in extrude home media. What abrasive material is used depends upon the composition of the workpiece and the required level of finishing. Aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, boron carbide, and diamonds are some of the most common abrasives used for extrude hone media.
Your First Choice for Extrude Hone Finishing and Extrude Hone Media in Ohio
The success of any AFM job depends on the abrasive media, or extrude hone media used during the process. Deburring & Finishing Technologies is a leading supplier of custom extrude hone media in Cleveland, Cincinnati, and the state of Ohio. We have years of experience providing high-quality abrasive hone media suitable for a wide range of manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, automotive, medical, electronics, energy production, and more.
Custom extrude hone media is our specialty. We can formulate a mixture specifically suited to your project’s needs. You can contact Deburring & Finishing Technologies through our website or call us at (412) 849-1522 to learn more about our Ohio extrude hone services and custom extrude media in Ohio, or to get a quote.