Shear Thickening Polishing of Rotary Workpieces with Large Curvature Edges

The polishing of rotary workpieces, which were characterized by large curvature edges, presents considerable challenges due to the difficulty of applying uniform polishing forces. Numerous solutions have been proposed to address this issue. However, none have successfully achieved an optimal balance between efficiency and surface quality. To this end, a “gentle” but effective method known as shear thickening polishing (STP) has been developed, which can improve the surface roughness to less than Ra 30 nm within a matter of minutes and without any surface abnormality. Influences of the STP were systematically investigated by single factor experimental designs, including abrasive type, abrasive concentration, installation angle, and polishing speed. And an illustrative case study involving the polishing of a rotary workpiece with a large curvature edge was presented, wherein the surface roughness can be reduced to Ra 25 nm within a mere 15 min and without the occurrence of burns or scratches typically associated with conventional polishing techniques. In contrast, traditional cashmere ball polishing requires approximately 30 min to achieve a similar surface quality, which often results in residual burns and scratches. The findings confirm that shear thickening polishing is an effective and efficient approach for enhancing the surface quality of rotary workpieces with significant curvature.