The influence of roller burnishing process parameters on surface quality and fatigue life of AA 7075‐T6 alloy

Roller burnishing method is a low‐cost and effective surface treatment method that has been frequently preferred in recent years. In this method the surface roughness is minimized by small plastic deformations, without removing chips from the surfaces, caused by the rolling element pressed against the surface with a certain force. While the surface hardness of the material increases in the process, the surface roughness decreases significantly. In this study, the effects of the process parameters of roller burnishing method (burnishing pressure and number of passes) on AA7075‐T6 aluminum alloy in terms of fatigue strength and surface roughness were investigated experimentally. Taguchi L9 experimental design method was used in the study, and the burnishing process was carried out by a specially produced disc‐shaped apparatus. As a result of the study, it was determined that the roller burnishing method increased both the fatigue strength and surface quality of AA 7075 T6 alloy. In consequence of roller burnishing, it was determined that fatigue life and surface roughness values improved by 116 % and 96 %, respectively.