Fundamental aspects and recent developments in metal surface polishing with energy beam irradiation

摘要

Energy beam polishing technologies have revolutionised the metal surface precision finishing procedure of various materials owing to their specific capability to provide non-contact, selective, and automated polishing processes; further, these technologies help enhance the mechanical properties of the materials. However, the inadequate understanding of the fundamental mechanism of the energy beam finishing process may limit the practical application of such technologies. Furthermore, to cope with the rapid development in various technologies associated with energy beam surface finishing, there is a strong requirement for researchers to highlight the current obstacles and predict promising trends. In this review paper, the main benefits and characteristics of energy beam surface finishing are first summarised. The various parameters that influence the energy beam finishing results are then discussed. For different metallic materials, the experiment parameters are not very identical; therefore, the discussions will be conducted in a sequence. The surface roughness level that can be obtained for the assigned material is considered a key aspect for evaluating the finishing effect, and the variation in mechanical property is considered as a supplement. We also review the fundamental evolution of the energy beam finishing models, existing applications in various fields, and limitations that stand in the way of satisfying industry requirements. The paper will be concluded by introducing the future development trends in energy beam surface finishing technologies, for instance, the large-area and short-time finishing, which play a decisive role on whether the current research can be applied for factory production and provide economic benefits.