Friction Processing in Surface Hardening and Form Drilling: Investigating thermomechanical steel surface hardening and thermal drilling

by Ali Sheikh

The following work is an experimental study of thermo-mechanical surface hardening of steels. It is somewhat an advanced technique used to harden steel surfaces. The concept is to produce heat on the surface of work piece so as to austenitize and then quick cooling for the formation of martensite, which is supposed to be the hardest phase of steel. The coolant used is emulsified oil, it flows on the surface with variable rates during machining. This process hardens the surface of steel and increases its resistance against wear and abrasion. The goal is to achieve surface hardening using conventional equipment so that the equipment and operational cost is kept as low as possible, and better results can be achieved. The second area of study in this work is studying the viability of friction drilling. Friction drilling is an advance technique used to drill holes using a conical tool without cutting edges. The concept is to utilize friction to soften, deform and displace the work material and create a hole. This method relies heavily on heat generated due to friction between the tool and the work piece. The technique stated like friction hardening has been successful in the laboratory, some improvements in the process scheme and work environment can be made to get better results.

33 pages, Paperback

Published November 3, 2019

About the author

Armed with a BS in Engineering and an MBA, Ali Sheikh has been working in the corporate world for twenty years. It's fair to say he has more than the obligatory ring-side view of his subject—he has been living in the ring for a long time. Closure of the Helpdesk is his first book; and he has more on the way.