Study on the Surface Enhancement of Thin-Walled Metallic Materials Using a Novel Double-Side Burnishing Tool

Abstract

Burnishing is a surface finishing process to produce a smooth surface. Since it can improve the mechanical properties of the material, such as surface hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength, in one process, it has been widely used in industry to enhance the surface quality of mechanical parts. However, due to the high burnishing force, it is difficult to use the process of thin materials, because such materials can easily be deformed in the process. In this research, a novel double-sided burnishing (DSB) tool that can process the thin plate material from both sides is designed and fabricated. The developed DSB tool symmetrically moves the burnishing tips on both sides with a single output to facilitate position control. The burnishing forces from the two sides cancel each other, and the moment that causes bending deformation is suppressed during the processing. Different thin plate metallic materials are processed using the developed tool, it is confirmed that deformation during burnishing is suppressed. By investigating the surface properties of the processed specimen, it is found that surface roughness, surface hardness, tensile strength, and fatigue strength can be improved by using the developed DSB tool. This makes it possible to process complicated, thin-walled parts, such as engine and turbine blades, which are supposed to have great potential applications in the automobile and aerospace industries.