Improving the Degree of Surface Isotropy of Parts Manufactured Using Hybrid Machining Processes

Among the biggest challenges in modern manufacturing techniques is deliberately shaping the surface layer of a part to suit the conditions in which it will be used. The degree of difficulty increases with the increase in the functional requirements of the items to be manufactured and with the complexity of the technology developed. Hybrid machining processes allow functional surfaces to be shaped by combining different machining operations into a single operation. The values of the amplitude and length parameters of the resulting surface geometrical texture are largely determined by the technological parameters of the combined machining operations. However, it is the tool guidance and kinematic–geometric conditions during the hybrid machining process that are responsible for the surface texture. This paper describes the results of an investigation into the influence of the milling tool guidance strategy during shaping milling and tooling guidance during burnishing of workpieces made of 42CrMo4 steel tempered to a hardness of 35 ± 2 HRC—a material commonly used in the construction of machine parts. It was shown that running the burnishing with two crossing passes oriented obliquely to the marks left by the cutter was the most favourable of the burnishing strategies tested.