High performance eco-friendly free abrasive machining using an additively fabricated tool and PCD based slurry

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Traditional lapping methods can be abrasive and costly.
• Achieving superior surface finish on ceramics like Al2O3 requires precise finishing techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of lapping plates fabricated via selective laser sintering (SLS) for Al2O3 ceramic finishing.
• To evaluate the performance of SLS-fabricated tools using minimum quantity abrasive dosing (MQAD).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of lapping plates using selective laser sintering (SLS) with polyamide PA2200 powder.
• Application of minimum quantity of diamond grains (D107) and paste (SD 28/20) on SLS plates.
• Lapping of Al2O3 ceramic samples and assessment of surface finish improvements.

Main Results:

• SLS-fabricated soft plates enabled effective material removal and significant surface finish enhancement for Al2O3 ceramics.
• The MQAD technique with SLS tools demonstrated stable lapping process performance.
• Obtained results were comparable or superior to conventional abrasive tools.

Conclusions:

• Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a viable method for producing cost-effective and environmentally friendly lapping tools.
• MQAD using SLS-fabricated tools presents an efficient abrasive finishing solution.
• This technology contributes to sustainable manufacturing practices in surface engineering.