The Effect of Selected Parameters of Vibro-Abrasive Processing on the Surface Quality of Products Made of 6082 Aluminium Alloy

Abstract

Vibro-abrasive processing is the basic method for the mass finishing of parts and components in various industries. Continuous progress in the development of processing media and machine design solutions means that every research effort into vibro-abrasive processing broadens the scope of knowledge in the selection of media, parameters, and applications in various industry fields. In this paper, an attempt is made to parametrize the vibratory grinding process, which is one of the three stages of high gloss finishing. Samples of the 6082 aluminium alloy intended for use in loaded machine parts and forged car wheel rims were subject to a research analysis. The samples were processed in a rotary vibrator equipped with a sample fixing system, using resin media and auxiliary com-pounds. On the basis of the analysis, the processing capacities were determined for the selected conditions and abrasive media. The influence of time and applied processing media on the change in samples’ roughness was determined. The effects of processing were examined with the use of laser devices measuring surface roughness in the areas of 3D and 2D analysis. The analysis of the test results showed that the use of S12TZ type resin media in a 12-hour finishing process of the 6082 aluminium alloy allowed for a 75.5% reduction in surface roughness, which corresponds to approximately 6.3% per hour of processing.