Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM) is a secondary water jet machining process used to smooth, polish, radius, and remove cracks and burrs from hard to reach or internal surfaces of machinery, parts and products. It uses a polymer resin and abrasive materials, which are called media, in water under pressure to reach bends, cavities and edges.
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MILCO WaterJet, LLCHuntington Beach, CA 800-998-1885 MILCO has been leading the industry since 1995 in abrasive flow machining. MILCO is experienced in all types of materials and industries in the manufacturing environment. MILCO's services allow its customers to receive quick turnarounds and competitive pricing, in addition to offering complete machine shop/EDM services and precision finishing the first time around.
Jonco Industries, Inc.Milwaukee, WI 800-236-7311 Jonco Industries provides innovative, practical & economical turnkey solutions for product packaging, warehousing & fulfillment, including abrasive flow machining of a variety of materials, in addition to printing, embroidery, product filling & assembly. Jonco's expertise supplies superior quality even under tight deadlines for prototypes or full production runs.
Progressive Alloy Steels Unlimited, LLCHartsville, SC Las Vegas, NV - 800-798-5619 Established in 1999, Progressive Alloy Steel offers specialty products and the added service of precision cutting to meet your needs, whether it be stainless steel, nickel, alloys, water jet cutting or anything else. Whether you need large sizes of unique or commodity grades, we keep them all in stock. Contact us today with other specialty requirements you may have.
RC Waterjet, LLCYork, PA 717-764-6200 Waterjet cutting to fabricate architectural and industrial products is our focus, cuttting any hard material whether it be stone, glass or metal. Our design department can program any drawing to specification with water jet cutters handling a 12' x 12` cut zone or 5' x 10' cut zone with abrasive cutting.
Tennessee Waterjet, Inc.Hermitage, TN (615)884-8006 Tennessee Waterjet, Inc was founded in 2000 and we are a leader in the waterjet industry. With a focus on creative design, we supply the architectural and interior design community with a new and exciting way to express their vision in both residential and commercial applications. Over the years we have perfected our techniques and have mastered the art of the waterjet. Call us today!
Advanced Waterjet Cutting, Inc.Dallas, TX 800-677-4246 By switching from manufacturing parts the conventional way to saving money by waterjet cutting, Advanced Waterjet Cutting, Inc. will help with the conversion. Maintaining stock in a choice of material types such as stainless steel, aluminum, steel, plastic, glass, & more, we meet customer needs.
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AFM works on many different metal materials including steel, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc, brass, cast iron, titanium and nickel alloys as well as thermoplastics. The automotive, aerospace, food processing, pharmaceutical, medical, molding, marine and electronic industries use this finishing operation on a number of different products. Internal combustion engines in aircraft and automotive vehicles that use AFM to improve fuel economy, semiconductor equipment, surgical instruments, molds and dies for metal, glass and plastic product forming also often undergo abrasive flow machining to create shiny, smooth and even internal surfaces. The abrasive media and water that erode the product surface are forced through the cavity by a hydraulic system, which can have one or two-way flow directions.
The abrasive action created by AFM happens when the work piece, the product to undergo machining, is clamped between two media cylinders, one at the top and one at the bottom. The process is fully automated and computer controlled, thus greatly reducing labor costs, which are high if the process is manual because it is so time consuming and tedious. The hydraulic system starts at the bottom cylinder, and the water and media mix is shot at high speeds and pressure through the work piece. The water flow is either linear or comes out of both cylinders at the same time, thus decreasing the erosion process time. A temperature-controlled cooling jacket is used to keep temperatures consistent during the manufacturing process. AFM may be customized for specific results or when working with certain materials by using different grit sizes and types of resin and media, different viscosity and high or low flow rates and pressure. These factors are all determined by the material properties of the product being eroded, the desired finish and time constraints. Many abrasive flow machines are able to process many parts at once; they can also process multiple cavities and spaces of a single product.
