Page 32 - MMI-SeptOct2021 SM upload

GRINDING - AUTOMOTIVE

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SUPERFINISHING

Learn what superfinishing is, what applications it should be used for and why

you should take care when specifying surface finish parameters.

Source: Nagel Precision Inc.

Different parts and materials that have been superfinished.

here is a constant nent’s surface finish while also amounts of stock on the order of
T pressure on manu- improving its micro-contour ac- 0.002-0.005 mm from the diam-
facturers to both en-
improved
through
curacy
eter. While steel is the most
hance the efficiency of manu- roundness, straightness, cylin- common material to superfin-
facturing and enhance the dricity and more. Despite its ish, he says, the process can also
performance of manufactured usefulness for automotive parts, be applied to exotic alloys, tita-
products, often by taking the the application potential for su- nium, aluminum and even glass
weight out of components. For perfinishing is wide-reaching. and ceramic.
automotive manufacturers, this From job shops to large One of superfinishing’s main
is coupled with pressure to re- original equipment manufac- benefits is that it is a cold
duce emissions. According to turers (OEMs), superfinishing material process, which means
Sanjai Keshavan, Manager, ECO has found roles in small medical it eliminates the thermally dam-
EMILY PROBST Hone and Microfinishing Sys- parts such as hip and spine im- aged layer that is left by previ-
Senior Editor tems Division, Nagel Precision plants and aerospace parts such ous operations such as grind-
Modern Machine Shop
Inc., all these pressures helped as turbine and landing gear ing. This has a key impact on
lead to the development of su- components. According to Kes- extending component life. For
perfinishing — a finishing pro- havan, superfinishing can con- example, Keshavan says that if
cess first applied to production ceivably be used in any OD ap- the bearing surfaces of an en-
around the 1930s that is de- plication that requires the gine crankshaft or camshaft
signed to enhance a compo- precise removal of small were not superfinished, compo-

32 | September-October 2021 Modern Manufacturing India