Abrasive Flow Machining of Additively Manufactured Inconel 718 Conformal Cooling Channels: Effects on Surface Integrity and Tribological Performance
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Poor surface quality of conformal cooling systems manufactured using additive manufacturing processes can adversely affect flow characteristics, particularly laminar flow. Although numerous post-processing techniques are available, only a limited number are suitable for finishing internal channels, one of which is Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM). In this study, the effect of AFM process parameters, including media concentration ratio, number of cycles, and abrasive grain size on the surface quality of Inconel 718 holes manufactured by the Powder Bed Fusion Laser Beam (PBF_LB) process were investigated in terms of surface integrity characteristics, including surface topography, surface roughness, microhardness, and tribological performance. Experimental results showed that unmelted particles were effectively removed from the surface, resulting in 98% reduction in surface roughness. However, the lowest coefficient of friction, representing a reduction of 0.58 compared with the as-built condition, was obtained at a media concentration of 60% and 80 AFM cycles. In addition, the roughness of heat-treated samples improved by 15% after AFM compared with that of the non-heat-treated samples.
Source: Research Square
Authors: Yusuf Kaynak, Ozhan Kitay, Emre Tascioglu
Institutions: Marmara University, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G7088686733
OpenAlex ID: W7204197864