Surface Quality Improvement by Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB) of Mild Steel

Abstract Low plasticity burnishing (LPB) process is chipless finishing methods which easily produce a smooth and hardened surface by plastic deformation of surface asperities. Burnishing is a process in which the peaks of metallic surfaces are displaced to fill the valleys by plastic deformation. This can simply achieved by pressing a hard and highly polished ball or roller against the surface of metallic work pieces. Burnishing is used increasingly as a finishing operation which gives additional advantages such as increased hardness, fatigue strength and Wear resistance. The present study focuses on the effect of burnishing parameters (burnishing feed, burnishing depth and burnishing speed) upon surface roughness and surface hardness. It was found that by using LPB process that surface hardness, surface roughness has been improved by 78.5%, 65% respectively. It was also found that the burnishing force and the initial roughness are the most pronounced parameters which have a significant effect on the final surface roughness and the final hardness of the surface of the work piece.