Amending Research on the Expression of the Contact Force of the Spindle Barrel Finishing Based on EDEM Simulation

Abstract The spindle barrel finishing is commonly used to improve the surface integrity of the important parts of the high-end equipment while it is difficult to provide enough test artifacts for the traditional trial and error experiment to obtain the desirable processing technology. The EDEM simulation of the spindle barrel finishing can provide effective help for the process design, however, the difference between the simulation and experiment is closely related to the selection of the contact model during simulation. In this paper, simulations and experiments are conducted based on the identical apparatus and conditions to facilitate the comparison and validation between each other. Based on the Hertz contact theory, the effect of the material properties of contact objects and the relative position of the workpiece on the contact force is qualified. The expression of the correlation coefficient of the contact model is deduced. Then the formula for calculating the contact force between the barrel finishing abrasive and the workpiece that includes influence coefficient of the material properties and the relative positions is established. Finally, the contact force calculation formula is verified by changing the rotating speed. The result shows that the material correction coefficient ranges from 1.41 to 2.38, which is inversely related to the equivalent modulus E. The position correction coefficient ranges from 2.0 to 2.3. The relative error value between the calculation result and the experimental test result is from 0.58% to 14.07%. This research lay a theoretical foundation for the correction theory of the core elements of the spindle barrel finishing process.