Performance of different abrasive tools in electrochemical honing of coated surfaces

This paper highlights on the honing characteristics of various abrasive tool materials during the precision finishing of EN52 coated surface of the engine valve face using electrochemical honing ECH process. The investigation on various abrasive tool materials in ECH is first proposed, and it may help to enhance the processing of sophistic surfaces. It is a new technique, which in spite of being used in some industrial plants, in particular to smooth surfaces and is still not fully described due to the variety of the factors affecting the process. More information about the process is required, especially the honing related parameters, such as abrasive tool pressure, abrasive material, and abrasive size. Special shaped honing tools were designed and fabricated to study the present aspects. Two different types of abrasive tool material (Al2O3 and NiCr) for honing operation were used while ECH of EN52 work surface. The results of the experiments are finally furnished with the aim to generalise a useful guideline for the user to enable proper selection of conditions for obtaining good surface quality.