Sizing Tools vs Roller Burnishing
Which Method Is Best For Your Application?
When choosing a burnishing tool, there are many different styles to choose from. One tool that offers some added versatility is a sizing tool. Although sizing and roller burnishing tools are employed to achieve smooth internal bores and part features, they operate differently. Understanding the advantages of a sizing tool, will help you select the right tool for the job.
Roller Burnishing
Roller burnishing involves passing a hardened roll or set of rolls over the workpiece’s internal surface. This compressive force induces plastic deformation, resulting in a smoother, harder, and more wear-resistant surface.
Key Characteristics of Roller Burnishing
- Focus on Surface Improvement: Primarily aimed at enhancing surface finish, hardness, and wear resistance.
- Limited Dimensional Adjustment: Primarily improves surface quality rather than significantly altering part dimensions.
- Great For Low Clearance Applications: Design allows for use in holes with less clearance, allowing the tool to get closer to the bottom of a bore without damaging the tool or scratching the bottom of the hole.
Sizing Tools
Sizing tools, while like burnishing, employ a precisely engineered expanding mandrel to achieve the desired internal dimensions. The tool is inserted into the bore and expanded when the mandrel is pushed forward. This process does require an actuation surface on a fixture or workpiece for the tool to work correctly.
Key Characteristics of Roller Burnishing
- Precisely Control Dimensions: Provides high accuracy in achieving target internal diameters.
- Minimal Deformation: Due to the distributed contact pressure, sizing tools minimize the risk of deforming thin-walled parts.
- Accommodate Irregularities: Can effectively address irregularities such as voids or cross-holes, finishing the entire ID in one operation.
- Expand to Larger Diameters: Can be used to finish larger diameters from smaller entry points.
- Suitable for Joining Applications: Can be used to seat components like bushings or expand interference fits.
In Summary
Both sizing tools and roller burnishing are valuable tools in achieving high-quality internal bores. Sizing tools excel in applications requiring more dimensional control, minimizing deformation, and accommodating complex geometries. Roller burnishing is well-suited for enhancing surface finish, hardness, and wear resistance. By carefully considering the specific application requirements, manufacturers can select the most appropriate method to optimize their production processes and achieve the desired part quality.
