Surface hardening by ball burnishing

Abstract The ball burnishing process is becoming more popular not only as a finishing process but also for improving the service properties of machine parts. Experimental work was carried out on a vertical machining centre to establish the effects of four ball burnishing parameters, depth of penetration, feed, ball material and lubricant, on the burnishing forces and the hardness of the AISI 1045 specimens. The variation of hardness below the burnished surface is also reported. A 68% increase in hardness can be obtained. The layer of maximum hardness lies beneath the burnished surface.