Analysis of Tool Wear and Counter Surface Roughness in the Flexible Abrasive Tool Finishing

Abstract

This work uses the solvent casting method to fabricate an elastomeric tool with polyurethane as the base material and silicon carbide (SiC) as embedded abrasive particles. The distribution of abrasive particles and the pore structure in the fabricated tools are analyzed. The fabricated tools are porous in nature and have self-replenishing as well as self-lubrication properties. Aluminum 6061 alloy and electroless nickel-phosphorus plating having different initial roughness are selected as workpieces to study the wear mechanisms and loading of the flexible abrasive tool. The rotational speed of the tool, tool compression, and feed rate are fixed input process parameters. Total finishing time, sliding distance, and roughness are varied to obtain output responses. The workpiece material is also taken into account as a variable parameter in this study. These materials are classified as different counter surfaces as their surface roughness and mechanical properties vary. The finishing time and sliding distance for these counter surfaces differ in order to relate their effects on tool wear and loading. The nickel-plated surface shows a higher percentage reduction in surface roughness of 92% as compared to the aluminum surface, with a 62% reduction in surface roughness. The coefficient of friction, wear, and tool condition are analyzed to understand the mechanism of tool wear and tool loading. In this process, both two-body and three-body abrasions occur simultaneously and continuously.