Performance analysis and application on Ti-6Al-4V of micro-forging system

Micro-forging (MF) is a novel surface modification technology which is capable of smoothening and strengthening the workpiece surface simultaneously. Based on analysis of the mechanism and energy conversion of micro-forging process, an electromagnetically driven micro-forging system is developed. To further grasp the kinetic characteristic of the equipment, a simulation model is established and its accuracy is verified. With the help of simulation and experimental results, we propose an input voltage optimization method, which drives the micro-forging head moving in a uniform and stable way. In this study, the influence of MF on surface integrity of Ti-6Al-4V (TC4) is firstly reported. Experimental results show that MF treatment reduces surface roughness (R_a) and increases micro-hardness by 48% and 11.8% at most, respectively. Besides, a compressive stress layer with an amplitude of −1000 MPa and a depth of 0.8 mm is observed. This study analyzes the performance and reveals the potential of micro-forging technology, which lays a solid foundation for expanding its application in TC4 surface modification.