Fundamental Investigation of Functionally Gradient Material Manufacturing System using Centrifugal Force

The aim of this investigation was to study a manufacturing system by the method of a centrifugal casting technique for a ceramics/metal functionally gradient material (FGM). The centrifugal force enables the ceramics powder in a metal to create a gradient distribution. The mixture consisting of plaster and corundum was chosen as an experimental model. The mixed materials were cast into rings under the combined conditions of four different volume fractions and three different No. times of gravity. The corundum profile was measured and analysed by cubic order polynomial equation. A mathematical model based on the expression was proposed to consider the effects of the volume fraction of the powder and the centrifugal force on the distribution. The model can express the observed distribution fields in a unified manner. A manufacturing system using the model was discussed in terms of whether it satisfies the designed distribution of the powder.