Surface Integrity Investigations in Ball Burnishing of 6063 AI Alloy

The paper reports an experimental investigation on surface roughness and degree of work hardening beneath the burnished surface of 6063 Al alloy. The experiments were conducted using Taguchi design with an L18 (2¹x3⁷) orthogonal array (OA). ANOVA of the experimental result shows that the ball material is the significant factor influencing surface roughness. HCHC ball was influential in reducing surface roughness significantly. It is found that surface roughness decreases with an increase in burnishing feed and at moderate depth of penetration. Coconut oil as a lubricant improved the surface finish compared to other lubricants. Percentage degree of work hardening was low at 100 m m depth. Feed is the significant parameter influencing percent degree of work hardening. Next influencing parameter is speed. Stainless steel ball is more influential in reducing percent degree of work hardening of the burnished specimen.