Material removal model for vibratory finishing

During the past decade, increasing attention has been given to secondary finishing processes as manufacturers seek to improve process efficiency while meeting increasingly stringent cost and product requirements. Although vibratory finishing is widely used, relatively little information is available about material removal and current design practices tend to be empirical. The present paper summarizes the results of a study conducted to investigate material removal in vibratory finishing and to develop a model to describe mass removal rate in terms of key process parameters. The model indicates that the material removal rate remains constant over time and is governed by bowl acceleration, workpiece mass, material properties and workpiece velocity. Results from controlled experimental testing using an instrumented vibratory bowl indicate that the model provides a reasonable representation of the governing process variables.