Ball-burnishing process influence on hardness ans residual stresses of aluminium A92017

Abstract

The ball-burnishing process is done firstly, to improve the surface finish of workpieces that have been previously machined and secondly, to obtain a harder surface with a compressive residual stress map. In this way we will obtain a surface that is more resistant to wear and fatigue. In this paper we present results of tests performed with this process that was applied to workpieces with a convex surface of aluminium A92017. An experiment to do tests was designed. Measurement results of surface hardness and residual stress are presented in this paper as well. These results are compared to those measured in the workpieces before being burnished. Finally conclusions are drawn about the improvement of these properties applied to workpieces through the ball burnishing process. The main innovation of this paper is that we work on convex geometries. We also obtain a table of recommended parameter values for the process.