Abstract
Abstract
The present work investigates the feasibility of improving surface quality via a novel combined process of electrochemical turning (ECT) with roller burnishing (RB) using the Taguchi fractional factorial experimental design technique. To provide burnishing immediately after the ECT process, non-conductive ZrO2 rollers are attached to the tool electrode during the experiments. The Taguchi technique is employed to identify the effect of ECT working parameters such as applied voltage, electrolyte pressure, workpiece rotational speed, minimum gap, and burnishing force on the output parameters, namely, material removal rate, surface roughness, and the improvement ratio in surface roughness. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio response graph, the significant parameters and the optimal combination level of machining parameters are obtained. Experimental results indicate that the combined process effectively improves the surface roughness and eliminates the pitting caused by ECT. Therefore, the combination of ECT and RB is a feasible process by which to obtain a refined finished surface and achieve further surface modifications.