Abrasive Finishing Processes, Systems and Solutions: State of the Art and Emerging Needs

Engineering components are generally rigid objects defined by their shape, material properties, as well as their surfaces. Each of these elements plays a critical role in terms of its ability to meet the desired functional need or end result. Achieving such end results together with a judicious combination of the process economics are the keys to success in any industrial application. A growing range of applications in various industrial sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, bearings, cutting tools, biomedical, electronics, ceramics, and other industries, requires processing a wide range of engineered materials. The functionality of these components as well as the productivity of these processes are constantly being challenged to meet the growing needs of global economy. In addition, many naturally available materials, such as lumber, stone, etc., are machined and finished in response to the furniture and construction boom worldwide. Added to these are consumer applications for individual housing projects to a variety of maintenance activities such as auto body repair, tool maintenance, etc. There are many competing processes available for the generation of surfaces in engineering components. Some are old, others new. Each process relies on a unique combination of process mechanisms or microscopic interactions to generate the desired surfaces. Understanding such mechanisms leads to possibilities to propose and develop new finishing solutions and systems. This overview paper will survey the wide range of finishing processes and their applicability for engineering materials and components from a diversity of industries. This survey will be followed by the identification of governing mechanisms in selected processes, which has resulted in innovation of new process concepts. The paper will conclude with identification of a list of emerging needs and opportunities and methodologies to take advantage of such opportunities. While this paper addresses industrial applications, the same line of logic and arguments can be extended for innovative developments in commercial and consumer applications as well.