Date of Award
Spring 2004
Document Type
Thesis - Restricted
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Stango, Robert
Second Advisor
Cariapa, Vikram
Third Advisor
Nigro, Nicholas
Abstract
Industrial brushing tools are used in industry for surface finishing, deburring and material removal. In the operations, the importance is on the brushing tools ability to remove material in one form or another. For years, wire brushing tools were used but had a problem removing material from a workpart that had a higher hardness then the filaments of the brushing tool. The brushing tools couldn't greatly remove any material from a workpart that had a higher hardness than the filaments of the brushing tools. Recently, in the past 20 or so years, polymer/abrasive brush was developed with abrasive particles in polymer fibers. These particles are made of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide. They are much harder than hardened steel filaments but are much slower to remove material. Over the years, there had been great strides in research to solve the key brush-related problems but gaps in knowledge exist. Research had been done in brush contact mechanics, material removal mechanisms, design of brushing tools and others. The problems that still exist are in two broad areas and that is brush performance and contact mechanics at the fiber/workpart interface. The focus of this research is in the experimental analysis of contact mechanics of the brush and workpart interface. Within this interface, the area is called the "contact zone." The contact zone mechanics are made up of the force magnitude of the brush filaments hitting or penetrating into the workpart and the contact (rake) angle of the filaments on the workpart. Specifically, this research applies to the study of force magnitudes generated within the contact zone at given operating conditions. The outcome of the thesis will help in gaining a better understanding of the contact mechanics of the polymer/abrasive brushing tools. The knowledge will then help in modeling the actual contact force of the filaments thereby giving a fuller picture of what's happening within the contact zone. With the ability to predict the performance of the brushing tools, brush designs and brushing operations can be optimized for industrial applications.
Recommended Citation
Khemkeo, Bobby P., "Measurement of Discrete Contact Zone Forces Exerted by Polymer/Abrasive Filamentary Brushing Tool" (2004). Master's Theses (1922-2009) Access restricted to Marquette Campus. 4931.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/theses/4931