The Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Ballizing Process of Steel Tubes

This paper presents chosen results of experimental and numerical research of ballizing process of the steel tubes. Ballizing process is a method of burnishing technology of an internal diameter by precisely forcing a ball through a slightly undersized premachined tubes. Ballizing process is a fast, low-cost process for sizing and finishing tubes. It consists of pressing a slightly oversized ball through an unfinished tube to quickly bring the hole to desired size. The ball is typically made from a very hard material such as tungsten carbide or bearing steel. Ballizing process is by cold surface plastic forming of the surface structure, thereby leaving a layer of harder material and reducing its roughness. After theoretical and experimental analysis it was determined that the smaller the diameter of the balls, the bigger intensity of stress and strain and strain rate. The paper presents influence of ballizing process on the strain and stress state and on the surface roughness reduction rate of the steel tubes.