Isn’t it obvious?

Dies, be it for extrusion, wire drawing, forging, or even tablet pressing, surface finish matters. Not just from the perspective of output quality, it matters even from a productivity standpoint.

A well-finished die can produce more, in less time and lasts longer before the next re-finishing. Also, a better surface finish means less probability of material sticking to it, ensuring perfect output quality.

How do we finish dies?

Good question.

Be it new or used, re-conditioning of a die is an important aspect of manufacturing.

Given the advancement of material science, present-day dies are harder. Adding to the challenges, some of the dies are very intricate with complex shapes and narrow passages.

All the above makes the finishing process more challenging and often more time-consuming.

Abrasive Flow Machining (AFM)

Just in case, your current finishing process is not keeping pace with your quality & productivity demands, human skill dependant, and time-consuming, it is time to think about AFM.

The AFM process (popularly known as Extrude Honing), utilizes an abrasive media for polishing dies. The media is applied at high pressure to change the surface characteristics of a machined component.

AFM has been trusted by industry leaders for over six decades. From hardened steel to carbide, AFM’s ability to finish a die has passed the tests of time

Real-life case study

Component: Wire drawing die

Opening size: 5mm x 1.5mm

Material of construction: Carbide

Manufacturing process: EDM

Finishing process: AFM

Finishing process time: 15min

Finish improved: Ra – From 1.9 to 0.2 microns

Rz – From 14.3 to 1.2 microns

Want to learn more, check our dedicated Abrasive Flow Machining webpage:

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