2017A alloy surface layer after flow burnishing with glass microspheres

Abstract This study presents a novel flow processing technique that uses glass microspheres instead of abrasives. The fundamentals of flow machining with glass microspheres, including microsphere flow burnishing (MFB) and the conditions necessary for cutting or plastic deformation of a surface to occur during MFB, are determined. Details on such conditions are lacking, and therefore, this study attempts to define these conditions. To this end, MFB was experimentally confirmed to be a burnishing process, and the effects of MFB and abrasive flow machining (AFM) on 2017A aluminum alloy were compared. Both processes achieved a surface roughness (Sa) of < 0.5 µm, while MFB yielded higher values of surface microhardness and compressive stress. The effects of basic process parameters on the MFB and AFM results (workpiece weight loss and Sa) were compared experimentally and the corresponding mathematical models were established. Utilizing these relationships, MFB parameters can be selected so as to obtain the most favorable surface layer for the expected operating conditions.