Described are finishing mediums for removing support material and/or for surface finishing of objects made via additive manufacturing techniques. The finishing medium is an aqueous solution containing 1-20% by weight a polyol, 1-20% by weight an anti-corrosion agent, 0.001-10% by weight a hydrotrope. The finishing medium may optionally suspend media particles, thereby forming a finishing suspension. Also described are methods of using the finishing media and finishing suspensions described herein.

A method and apparatus for processing a metallic workpiece with defined edges (e.g., a gear) comprises media blasting of the workpiece by directing a first media against exposed surfaces on the workpiece to increase the root strength of the gear, the blasting causing the defined edges to be radiused or mushroomed, ceasing the media blasting, loading the workpiece into a finishing apparatus, and subjecting the workpiece to a finishing process with a second media, the exposed surfaces on the workpiece being subjected to the finishing process to reduce the radiused edges on the workpiece created from the media blasting. The process of moving the workpiece to the spindle-finishing apparatus from the media blasting may be performed automatically by a machine. Once the workpiece has been subjected to the finishing process with the second media, it may be removed from the spindle-finishing machine, washed, and rinsed with rust inhibitor whereby wear properties of the workpiece are enhanced.

Apparatus for treating parts to remove imperfections in the parts includes: a chamber; a rotatable basket within the chamber; a source of liquified cold fluid; a source of dry ice particles; a programmed controller to control rotation of the basket, activation of the liquified cold fluid, cycle times and activation of the dry ice particles. The controller is programmed to activate rotation of the rotatable basket, activate the source of liquified cold fluid and activate the dry ice particles to treat parts in the rotatable basket.

The invention relates to a treatment system for treating workpieces, in particular for cleaning and/or deburring, comprising at least one treatment device that has at least one treatment unit, which is configured to perform at least one treatment operation on the workpiece, as well as at least one receiving unit for accommodating the workpiece on or in the treatment device, a transport device that comprises at least one transport unit, with which the workpiece is transferable into a transfer position, from which the workpiece is transferable by means of the at least one receiving unit into a treatment position, as well as a control device for controlling the at least one treatment unit, the at least one receiving unit, and the at least one transport unit, wherein the at least one treatment device comprises two or more receiving units for accommodating a respective workpiece for transferring independently of one another into the treatment position, and wherein the control device controls the at least one treatment unit such that the workpieces are treated by said treatment unit in a time-offset manner according to a treatment operation of the same kind. The invention also relates to a method.

A sleeve may be configured to secure an airfoil cluster for polishing. The sleeve may include a mock airfoil and a bypass flow path between the mock airfoil and an end wall of the sleeve. The sleeve may be positioned in an annular ring of sleeves in a polishing apparatus. The polishing apparatus may comprise an annular flow path for an abrasive fluid. The abrasive fluid may be flowed through the annular ring of sleeves in order to polish the airfoil cluster.

An upper shield and a lower shield may be coupled to a rotor for polishing airfoils of the rotor in a vibratory bowl. The upper shield and the lower shield may include spars. The spars may correspond to leading edges and trailing edges of the airfoils. A media including abrasive particles may be flowed through the rotor in the vibratory bowl. The spars may protect the leading edges and trailing edges of the airfoils from excessive material removal by the abrasive particles.

An impeller manufacturing method includes: integrally forming an impeller by an additive manufacturing method using a metal powder, the impeller including a disk which has a disk shape about an axis, a plurality of blades which are formed on a surface facing a first side in an axial direction of the disk with gaps therebetween in a circumferential direction about the axis, and a cover which covers the plurality of blades from the first side in the axial direction; processing the integrally formed impeller by a hot isostatic pressing; and causing a polishing fluid containing abrasive grains to flow through a flow path formed between the disk, the cover, and the blades in the impeller after the processing with the hot isostatic pressing and while pressurizing the polishing fluid to perform fluid polishing.

The invention relates to a treatment system for treating workpieces. Devices and methods of the disclosure are configured to perform at least one treatment operation on the workpiece, as well as at least one receiving unit for accommodating the workpiece on or in the treatment device. A transport device is provided that comprises at least one transport unit, with which the workpiece is transferable into a transfer position, from which the workpiece is transferable by means of the at least one receiving unit into a treatment position, as well as a control device for controlling the at least one treatment unit, the at least one receiving unit, and the at least one transport unit.

A method and apparatus for finishing a surface of a metal component made by additive manufacturing are provided. The method comprises: containing the component 41 in a fluid 43 that comprises abrasive particles 48; and generating pressure fluctuations that produce acoustic cavitation in the fluid by applying ultrasonic vibration into the fluid by an ultrasonic horn 45, thereby removing material from the surface of the component by a combination of cavitation bubble collapse on the surface and the striking of the surface by abrasive particles 48 accelerated by cavitation bubble collapse.

A deburring unit removes burrs from a workpiece, the burrs being formed along kerfs cut by a cutting blade. The deburring unit includes a chuck table that holds the workpiece on a holding surface, an ultrasonic horn that emits ultrasonic waves from a lower surface, the lower surface facing an upper surface of the workpiece, a water film forming nozzle configured to form a water film such that the upper surface of the workpiece is covered in its entirety with the water film, and a controller. The controller is configured to cause the ultrasonic horn to come into contact at its lower surface with the water film formed by supply of water from the water film forming nozzle, such that ultrasonic vibrations propagate to the water film and remove the burrs formed in the kerfs of the workpiece.