State-of-the-art on vibratory finishing in the aviation industry: an industrial and academic perspective

Vibratory finishing is a versatile process that is used in many industries globally for radiusing, brightening, deburring, fine finishing, cleaning, burnishing, and descaling of components. This state-of-the-art paper will discuss how vibratory finishing has evolved into what it is today and the advancements in technology. The development of mass finishing, the importance of vibratory finishing in aviation industry, the parameters involved in this process, and the patent landscape of the advancements in vibratory finishing will be elucidated. More importantly, the paper will dwell into attempts made to understand the science behind this arcane process. Empirical investigations, model developments, bulk and granular impact velocity studies, vibrostrengthening, and Almen strip characterization are the research efforts that will be discussed in particular. This work has identified gaps in the vibratory finishing process, some of them being media flow measurement and the need for a monitoring system to determine the frequency losses from motor vibrations to the media vibrations. Methods for calculating the frequency and amplitude of machine vibrations, the impact velocity of media, and the force of media striking the workpiece are still under research. Literature points out that more work can be done in terms of the quantification of process parameters, the relationship between them, and the effect they have on the surface finish. The industry is on the lookout for shorter cycle times with improved surface finishing quality, and thus various technological advancements in vibratory finishing, namely drag and spindle finishing, have come into existence. To the knowledge of the authors, there has been no comprehensive review work done on vibratory finishing. This paper attempts to serve the purpose of being a one-stop academic and industrial reference for scientific communities and professionals working in this field. The paper further endeavors to serve as a means to initiate the development of a next generation vibratory finishing system with real-time monitoring and surface finish measurements.