Improving the Surface Integrity of Additive-Manufactured Metal Parts by Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Burnishing

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has been attracting attention as a new manufacturing method, but a surface finishing process is usually needed to improve the surface quality. As a new surface finishing process, ultrasonic vibration-assisted burnishing (UVAB) is promising. In this study, UVAB was performed on an additive-manufactured AlSi10 Mg workpiece to improve its surface/subsurface integrity. The effects of ultrasonic vibration (UV) and lateral tool pass width on the burnishing performance were investigated. It was observed that the surface roughness, filling ratio, and hardness of the surface layer were simultaneously improved after burnishing. This study shows the effectiveness of applying UVAB to improve the surface quality of additive-manufactured products for various industrial uses.