Characteristics and Performance of Surfaces Created by Various Finishing Methods (Invited Paper)

The functional performance of mechanical components depends on their surface characteristics, surface integrity and geometric accuracy. It is critical to understand the influence of these surface properties on product performance, so the manufacturing processes can be designed to deliver the required performance. This paper presents the influence of surface characteristics on functional performance including surface topography, surface 2D/3D parameters, tribological parameters and residual stresses. It then discusses the surface properties created by various finishing methods such as hard turning, grinding, superfinishing, mass finishing, etc. Finally, it provides guidelines for the design and selection of finishing processes in order to yield the critical product performance characteristics.