Unit 5:

Surface finishing processes

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 Introduction
• A surface is what we touch, when we held a manufactured
object. Normally dimensions of the object are specified in its
drawing relating the various surfaces to each other.
• These nominal surfaces, representing the intended surface
contour of the manufactured part, are defined by line in the
drawing (machine).
• The nominal surfaces of the object are represented by perfect
straight lines, perfect circles, round holes, absolute
perpendicularity and straightness.
• A variety of processes are used to make the designed parts. In
totality the manufacturing result is wide variations in surface
characteristics.
• It is important to know the technology of surface generation

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Introduction
Surface Roughness Terminologies

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Introduction
Surface Roughness Terminologies
1. Roughness :
Roughness consists of surface irregularities which result from the various
machining process. These irregularities combine to form surface texture.
2. Roughness Height :
It is the height of the irregularities with respect to a reference line. It is
measured in millimeters or microns or micro inches. It is also known as the
height of unevenness.
3. Roughness Width :
The roughness width is the distance parallel to the nominal surface between
successive peaks or ridges which constitute the predominate pattern of the
roughness. It is measured in millimeters.
4. Roughness Width Cut Off :
Roughness width cut off is the greatest spacing of respective surface
irregularities to be included in the measurement of the average roughness
height. It should always be greater than the roughness width in order to obtain
the total roughness height rating. 4
Introduction
Surface Roughness Terminologies
5. Lay :
Lay represents the direction of predominant surface pattern produced and it
reflects the machining operation used to produce it.
6. Waviness Height:
Waviness height is the peak to valley distance of the surface profile, measured in
millimeters.
7. Arithmetic Average (AA):
If X is the measured value from the profilometer, then the AA
value can be calculated as shown below.
8. Root Mean Square (rms)
The rms value can be calculated as shown below. Its numerical value is about
11% higher than that of AA.
9. Flaws: Irregularity which occur at one place or widely varying intervals in
surface. It include cracks, scratches etc.

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Introduction

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Introduction

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Introduction

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Introduction

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 Introduction
The factors affecting surface roughness
• Type of coolant used
• Cutting parameters such as feed, speed and depth of cut
• Type of machining
• Rigidity of the system consisting of machine tool, fixture,
cutting tool and work
• Vibrations
• Material of tool and work piece.

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 Surface Finishing processes
Manufacturing process employed determines surface finish level.
Some processes are inherently capable of producing better
surfaces than others. The processes recognized for good surface
finish are honing, lapping, polishing and surface finishing.
Tolerance and range of surface roughness produced by different
processes are given below.

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 Surface Finishing processes
1. Honing
• Honing is a surface finishing operation based on abrasive action
performed by a set of bonded abrasive sticks.
• It is generally used to finish bores of cylinders of IC engine,
hydraulic cylinders, gas barrels, bearings, etc.
• It can reduce the level of surface roughness below 32 µm.
• It produces a characteristics surface pattern as cross hatched
which is a fit case to retain lubrication layer to facilitate motion
to moving parts, their best example is IC engine.
• The honing tool used to finish internal surface is shown in
Figure
• The honing tool consists of a set of bonded abrasive sticks. The
number of sticks mounted on a tool depends on its
circumferential area. Number of sticks may be more than a
dozen.
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Surface Finishing processes
1. Honing

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Surface Finishing processes
1. Honing

• The motion of a honing tool a combination of rotation and

reciprocation (linear).
• The motion is managed in such a way that a given point on the
abrasive stick does not trace the same path repeatedly.
• The honing speed may be kept upto 10 cms per sec. Lower
speeds are recommended for better surface finish.
• Manufacturing defects like slight eccentricity a way surface,
light tapper, less of circulating can also be corrected by honing
process.
• The process of honing is always supported by flow of coolants.
It flashes away the small chips and maintains a low and
uniform temperature of tool and work.

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 Surface Finishing processes
1. Lapping
• Lapping is a super finishing process used to create flat surfaces.
• It is an oldest method to obtain extreme dimensional accurate
surface.
• In this process, two mating surfaces are rubbed together with an
abrasive between them.
• It will remove small amount of metal in form of microchips. It is
mainly used to produce close fit of mating surfaces.
• Honing is mainly used to finish cylindrical hollow section while
lapping is used for finish flat surfaces.
• Lapping is a follow up process after grinding and used for create
high accurate finish surface.
• This process is similar to grinding except it uses loose abrasive
particle to remove instead of bonded material like grinding wheel.
• It usually removes 0.03. – 0.003 mm from work piece
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 Surface Finishing processes
2. Lapping
Principle
• The metal removal principle in lapping is same as
other metal finishing process. The metal is removed
due to abrasion action of abrasive particles.
• This process uses a lapping plate. This plate is made by
cast iron.
• Sometime other soft material like copper, brass etc. is
used for it.
• The abrasive particles placed between work piece and
lapping plate in form of oil mixed slurry or gel. This oil
or other paste used as transporting medium for
abrasive particle, avoid heating and also provide
transporting medium for removed micro chips.

• The lapping plate remains stationary in hand lapping and rotates at a speed of 10 – 150 rpm
in machine lapping.
• The work piece is allowed to do reciprocating motion over lapping plate which removes the
material in form of microchips. During this rubbing action a pressure of about 3 pound per
square inch should maintain between these two part which allow proper rubbing action. It
can achieve dimensional tolerance on the order of 0.0004 mm. 16
 Surface Finishing processes
2. Lapping
Types:
The Rubbing action in lapping can be done manually or by use of machine. According to it,
lapping can be divided into two types.

Hand Lapping:
In hand lapping process, the work piece is rubbed over
the lapping plate manually. In this process first the plate
is coated with the abrasive material which in in the form
of paste. Now the work piece is rubbed over plate by
applying a small pressure manually.

Machine Lapping:
It is used for finish large quantity of similar parts. This
machine involves a rotating lapping plate and
conditional rings. Conditional rings provide sits for work
piece. This rings rotate and rubbed the work piece
against lapping plate. Abrasive particles are provided
with suitable medium like liquid or in powder form. This
rubbing removes metal in form of microchips and
provide super finishing. 17
 Surface Finishing processes
2. Lapping

Advantages:

• It can finish every material irrespective its hardness.

• Size and shape is no limit of lapping process.
• High accuracy can obtain.

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 Surface Finishing processes
3. Super finishing
• Superfinishing, also known as microhoning, microstoning,
microfinishing, superfinish honing, and short stroke honing,
produces mirror-like surfaces with a very fine or low surface
finish roughness average (Ra).
• Microhoning or superfinishing uses finer abrasive grit sizes, and
microhoning machines produce surfaces with fine or low
roughness average, down to 0.1 to 0.05 microinches (4 to 2
microns).
• Typically, a single fine grit stone is rubbed against the surface of
the workpiece with small oscillations (higher frequency and
small amplitudes).
• Superfinishing is similar to honing, but a finer or lower
roughness average finish is produced with limited stock removal.
• Superfinishing cannot correct geometry to the same degree as
honing because of the inherent low material removal rate. 19
 Surface Finishing processes
3. Super finishing Application

• Superfinishing machines are used to produce a very highly

polished mirror finish with high geometric correctness (e.g. high
flatness, straightness, roundness).
• The geometry is corrected initially with pre-superfinishing
honing or grinding processes.

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 Surface Finishing processes
4. Buffing

The buffing process is used to shine wood, metal, or composites

using a cloth wheel impregnated with cutting compounds or
rouges.
In the cloth, there is an abrasive disc that works is to remove or cut
and get a better surface finish.
This process is performed after polishing process for providing a
high luster to be polished surface.
The amount of material removal is
very less because it is a
superfinishing operation. This
operation helps for providing good
surface finishing.
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 Surface Finishing processes
4. Buffing

• The buffing wheel is made by linen, cotton, broad cloth and

canvass and it is made by multiple layers of these cloths
overlapped on each other.
• When we perform an operation, the wheel is attached with the
tool holder and when operation starts it rotates during at a
speed of 32.5 -40 m/s and a small pressure applied on the wheel
which promotes abrasive action and removes metal in form of
microchips.
• It is used to remove fine scratches or to remove oxide or similar
coatings which may be on the work surface.
• The almost buffing process is done manually but automatic or
semi-automatic buffing processes are also available which are
used for mass production in various industries. And for complex
workpieces, manual buffing is suitable. 22
 Surface Finishing processes
4. Buffing

The following application of Buffing Process is:

• The buffing process is used to remove scratches, oxides, coatings
from the workpiece surfaces.
• Used in the automobile sector, motorcycles, boats, bicycles,
commercial and residential hardware, and much more.
• Also used in the automotive sector (Component is Roller
bearing, connecting rod, piston, and many more).
• The process used to shine the workpiece. It may be Tools,
fixtures, or sports items.
• The buffing process also used in Household utensils and
appliances.

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 Surface Finishing processes
4. Polishing

The polishing process can be defined as this is a finishing process in

which we get a smooth and shiny surface of the workpiece by
rubbing it or by applying a chemical treatment. It is one of the
oldest processing methods, first used in the making of stone
implements.

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 Surface Finishing processes
4. Polishing

Polishing Process:
• The polishing process removes small elements of a surface and makes the
workpiece smooth and brighter. This smoothness of the workpiece is obtained by
rubbing the surface.
• Polishing is one of the best methods today to obtain the finest surface.
• There is ultra-precision technology is an indispensable ingredient for polishing
today.
• Polishing uses a larger number of multi-point for effective material removal.
• The polishing process used in various components such as aerospace, automotive,
mechanical seals, fluid handling, and many other precision engineering industries.
• It is a final process that usually follows lapping to give the final surface
characteristics of size, surface roughness. It is used in many materials from steel
to composite ceramics.

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 Surface Finishing processes
4. Polishing

The main application of Polishing Process is:

• The Polishing process is used to enhance the workpiece (Like the
appearance of an item, prevent contamination of instruments,
remove oxidation.
• The polishing also prevents corrosion in many items.
• It is used to create a reflective surface.
• The polishing process is used to bring brightness to the workpiece.

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 Surface Finishing processes
5. Tumbler

• A rock tumbler is a machine that uses sand and water to polish and
smooth rocks.
• It has a soft rubber barrel where you put the rocks, sand, and water.
• The tumbler has a motor that then turns the barrel to allow for
friction to smooth out the stones.
• Tumble polishing, also known as “mass tumbling,” is a highly
effective process that can be performed on large quantities of metal
and plastic pieces through the use of both automatic and semi-
automatic machines within a relatively short period of time.
Professional finishing companies value tumble finishing, because of
the many advantages of mechanical surface preparation.

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 Surface Finishing processes
5. Tumbler
Application of Tumbler process can be selected if we required following features.
Precision Finishes. Depending on the size and type of pieces worked on, the tumble
finishing process can be completed in a short amount of time, ranging from a few
minutes to a few hours. Much faster than more traditional technologies, the tumble
process provides a consistent and repeatable production finish.
Simple Deburring. The machines used in the tumble deburring process can be a
precise method to deburr parts, eliminate sharp edges, clean up drill holes, or
improve the overall surface roughness.
Cost Efficient Finishing. Historically, machines that would perform the smoothing and
polishing of metal and plastic items were complex, and therefore costly to use. Today,
tumble finishing is an affordable and efficient process.
Mass Finishing Capabilities. Many of the machines that perform the tumbling
process are capable of servicing large quantities of pieces at a time, as well as
quantities of very small items. This ultimately saves a great deal of time and money.

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 Surface Finishing processes
6. Burnishing
• Burnishing is a surface modification process that produces a very smooth surface
finish by the planetary rotation of a tool over a bored or turned surface. The tool
may consist of one or more ball or roller.
• This process does not involve the removal of material from the workpieces. All
machined or other processed metal surfaces consist of a series of peaks and
valleys which constitute the surface irregularities.
• The force applied by the
burnishing tool forces the
material from the peaks to
flow into the valleys.
• This reduces the height of
the peaks and depth of the
valleys, thereby reducing
the surface roughness

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 Surface Finishing processes
6. Burnishing

Application Of Burnishing :
• Hydraulic system
components,
• Seals,
• Valves,
• Spindles,
• Fillets on the shaft.
• Home Appliances
• Motors and Pump Industry

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Thank You

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