Abrasive flow machining uses flexible abrasive media to reach difficult internal features and can be used for polishing, deburring, recast removal, edge radiusing, and controlled adjustment of flow characteristics.
Aerospace is one of the foundational industries for AFM, with the process originally developed for critical aircraft hydraulic and fuel systems.
Aerospace Finishing Applications
Extrude Hone AFM commonly uses abrasive flow machining for tasks including:- Improving compressor and turbine airfoil surfaces
- Edge finishing holes and attachment features
- Removing EDM and laser recast
- Adjusting flow resistance in blades and vanes
- Finishing combustion liners
- Polishing nozzles and diffusers
- Finishing fuel-control bodies
- Deburring aircraft hydraulic components
These processes can address features created through milling, casting, EDM, ECM, and other manufacturing methods.
Aerospace Manufacturing in Phoenix
Arizona has a substantial aerospace and defense manufacturing presence, with Phoenix-area companies involved in aircraft components, engines, electronics, precision machining, and supporting technologies.
Components in these applications may contain narrow air or fluid passages and tight dimensional tolerances.
AFM provides access to the internal surfaces while allowing the finishing process to be tailored to the component.
Finishing Flow Holes and Nozzles
Fuel and air nozzles may contain multiple holes that need to deliver similar flow rates.
AFM can process several openings from a common source of hydraulic pressure and abrasive media.
More restrictive openings experience greater abrasive action, helping bring hole dimensions and flow characteristics toward better consistency over multiple processing cycles.
Airfoil and Turbine Surface Improvement
AFM can improve airfoil surfaces after casting, milling, EDM, or ECM operations.
The abrasive media follows the component's geometry, allowing raised features to be removed from complex surfaces.
This may be especially useful on compressor and turbine-section parts where inaccessible geometry makes manual polishing difficult.
Removing Thermal Recast
Laser and EDM manufacturing operations can leave thermal recast layers on aerospace components.
Extrude Hone AFM can use AFM to precisely remove these affected surface layers as part of the final finishing process.Controlled AFM Processing
No two aerospace components require exactly the same process.
Tooling, media flow pressure, viscosity, abrasive concentration, material, passage dimensions, and starting surface condition all influence material removal.
Extrude Hone AFM develops these parameters around the individual application.Request Aerospace AFM in Phoenix
Call (562) 531-2976 to discuss aerospace AFM for Phoenix, AZ components with Extrude Hone AFM. The team can review your part geometry and finishing requirements and determine an appropriate AFM approach.
FAQs
Can AFM finish aerospace fuel nozzles?
Yes. Fuel spray nozzles and other fuel-system components are established aerospace AFM applications.
Can AFM improve compressor components?
Yes. AFM is used to improve airfoil surface conditions in compressor and turbine sections.
Does Extrude Hone AFM serve Arizona aerospace manufacturers?
Yes. Extrude Hone AFM provides abrasive flow machining for aerospace manufacturers nationwide.
