Understanding Burnishing for Metal
Manufacturing is one of the largest industries in the United States. In fact, there are almost 12.5 million employees in the U.S. manufacturing industry, accounting for 8.5% of the entire workforce. And with that many people in the industry, manufacturing tools have improved and changed drastically over time. One common tool used in manufacturing is burnishing tools. Let’s look at why and how burnishing tools are used in today’s manufacturing businesses.
What is a burnishing tool used for? Burnishing tools are used to achieve a low microinch finish on a part. Unlike other methods, like honing and grinding, burnishing doesn’t remove any metal from the surface. Rather, burnishing cold works metal to reduce roughness and leave behind a mirror-like, uniform, surface finish. Burnishing also can increase the surface hardness, which increases a metal’s resistance to fatigue and failure at stress points. Roller burnishing improves surface finish and results in dimensional accuracy. You can learn more about burnishing here.
While burnishing works on a variety of different metals such as stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum, and brass, there is a wide variety of burnishing for metal tools available for today’s manufacturers. Burnishing can eliminate secondary processes all together which cuts down cycle time an ultimately saves money. Now, let’s look at a few common types of burnishing tools.
Diamond burnishing tools
When it comes to burnishing methods, diamond burnishing is one of the most versatile options. It can be used on a variety of metals and can produce a dense, smooth surface. The set up for diamond burnishing is quick and cost-effective and there is no need for secondary processes like grinding. Overall, this process is easy, efficient, and will show high-quality results.
Multi-roll burnishing tools
ID and OD multi-roll burnishing tools can offer accurate sizing and can significantly improve the surface finish of steel and high ductility metals.
They can produce 2 to 8 Ra micro inch finishes in just one pass. These multi-roll burnishing tools feature fast cycle times and include a built-in micrometer adjustment system that allows the tool to be adjusted in increments of 0.0001” (0.0025mm).
Multi-roll burnishing tools can be run on almost any machine tool, CNC or manual lathe. These burnishing tools are completely interchangeable with “Madison” style burnishing tools.
Single carbide roll burnishing tools
