Surface Texture Analysis of Hardened Shafts after Ceramic Ball Burnishing

Abstract

This article represents the results of testing the surface condition of shafts manufactured by the burnishing process. The shafts with a hardness of approximately 62 HRC (Rockwell C). were burnished with a ceramic ball (Si3N4), where the force range was controlled by the means of a hydraulic system. The machining process consisted of hard turning shafts with cubic boron nitride (CBN) inserts, followed by burnishing with the use of various machining parameters, such as feed and force. The research focused on the examination of burnished surfaces, which was conducted for various structures after hard turning, and with variable burnishing parameters. The results obtained for the decrease of roughness are presented as the relation between the parameters Rat/Rab, which is approximately 2, while for Rpkt/Rpkb, it is around 3.7, respectively. Sat/Sab is around 2, while Spkt/Spkb is around 3.5 (where an index denotes the t-surface after turning, and the index b-surface after burnishing). The structure of the surface after burnishing and turning is described with roughness parameters, as well as with the photographs of the specimen surface, and the bearing area curve.