Did you know that extrude honing is heavily utilized by manufacturers for gears, dies, and molds?
What is extrude honing?
Extrude honing is the process by which an abrasive-laden media is forced through metal passages of a component via hydraulic pressure. As these particles are forced through the component, they essentially sand and grind away at build-up. This process can be used to polish interior surfaces or even make them larger, depending on the abrasiveness of the media pushed through. This process is customizable as the flow rate of the media, the abrasiveness of the media, viscosity, particle density and hardness, and workpiece hardness varies.
Why is abrasive flow machining so heavily utilized by manufacturers?
Though abrasive flow machining is utilized in many industries, it is heavily favored by those in the manufacturing industry. That is due to the following:
- The process polishes surfaces in the direction of flow, producing a better quality and longer-lasting die with a uniform surface and gently radiused edges
- The die passage itself provides the restriction for media flow, typically eliminating fixture requirements
- Multiple passages can be processed simultaneously
- Surface finishes are improved by 90 percent with minimal dimensional change
- The uniformity of stock removal permits accurate “sizing” of undersized die passages
- Jobs requiring hours of highly skilled hand polishing are processed automatically in far less processing time than traditional methods
Can abrasive flow machining help enhance my products?
Yes, abrasive flow machining can help enhance your products! At Extrude Hone AFM, our process is entirely customized based on both the workpiece and media. For the workpiece, we analyze the type of material, the hardness of the material, quality, and density of the material, and the size and amount of passages to be processed. We then modify our media based on the media flow rate or speed of each pass, media carrier viscosity, abrasive particle size, and abrasive concentration per pound of media. AFM is a controllable machining process, and we can control flow rates, pressure, volume, temperature, and thus, the amount of material that is removed for any given application.
If you are interested in extrude honing and abrasive flow machining for dies, molds, and gears, contact Extrude Hone AFM for a quote!
If you are interested in extrude honing for your dies, molds, and gears, Extrude Hone AFM can help! We have over 53 years of experience when it comes to extrude honing, which means you can trust us to do the job right. We’ve worked with numerous manufacturers to help make their products better and would be happy to work with you as well. Give us a call today at (562) 531-2976 to request a free quote!
To learn more about the reliable and quality abrasive flow machining services that we offer, visit us on the web at Extrude Hone AFM.
