STREAM
FINISHING
THE GREEN ALTERNATIVE
TO CHEMICALLY
ACCELERATED PROCESSES
40 gearsolutions.com
Stream finishing is suitable for a variety of
components, including those with complex
geometries, a weight of up to 200 kilograms and a
diameter of up to 650 mm, such as turbine discs,
turbine blades, blisks, servo valves, and gear wheels
for the aerospace industry.
By JASON CHIN
T
here are numerous methods and processes available for post processing industrially manufactured metal components, with various advantages and drawbacks depending on the size,
geometry, material and finishing requirements. We
look at four well-established processes on the market
for finishing gear wheels and assess them in terms
of health and safety, environmental impact, and costeffectiveness.
ONE GEAR WHEEL: MANY
PROCESSING CHALLENGES
Many highly loaded steel gear wheels are produced for
use in the aerospace industry that must be ground to
an extremely high degree of precision and hardened to
levels greater than 60 HRC. The surface of a gear wheel
is solid and tough. If it is to function safely and reliably later on, the surface structure must be flawless
and extremely isotropic, meaning it must be highly
uniform in all directions. As well as requiring a roughness of below Ra 0.1 µm, the involute surface must not
be wavy or show any grinding grooves. In addition,
the edges on the sides and on the tooth head must be
evenly rounded. (Figure 1)
NOT ALL PROCESSING
METHODS HIT THE MARK
Now that we know the criteria, we need to identify
which process comes out on top where it really matters. One option is manual or mechanical robotic
smoothing and rounding. Here the processing quality
throughout the tool’s life cycle does not remain constant, as progressive wear on the grinding wheel or
brush results in an ever-more imprecise surface finish
over time. Both methods produce very uneven results
when processing inner geometries because the tools
can accommodate different components only to a very
limited extent and are difficult, if not impossible, to
position in tight places. Components with very narrow
tolerances lay bare the limitations of these methods,
which cannot process them effectively. Current technology often favors trough vibrators for processing. Using
certain acidic process liquids can help to reduce process times. The types of liquids used include mixtures
containing phosphate salts, phosphoric acid, oxalic
Figure 1
acid, sodium oxalate, sulphate, sodium bicarbonate,
chromate, sodium chromate, chromic acid, and sulphuric acid. Most of these substances are hazardous and
employees require special protective equipment when
handling them. (Sodium) chromate and chromic acid
have been classed as substances of very high concern
by the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) as they
are carcinogenic, mutagenic, and in the case of sodium
chromate, toxic to reproduction. Along with sulphuric
acid, oxalic acid, and phosphoric acid, they are also skin
sensitizing and, in some cases, toxic. For this reason,
the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and
Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) has listed the following
properties for most of these substances:
 Acute toxicity.
 Hazardous to aquatic environment.
 Various other health hazards.
 Skin irritant that is corrosive to metal and may
cause serious eye damage.
While this process might tick all the boxes in terms
of finishing requirements, the process liquid can generally only be used once and must be replaced once processing is finished. This results in increased purchasing,
neutralization, and disposal costs, meaning the process
is far from cost effective. As we have already seen, the
use of these hazardous substances also brings with it
health and safety and environmental risks.
Dry electropolishing processes are another option
available on the market for polishing metal workpieces
in a single operation. They use electrolyte granulate to
October 2022 41
Figure 2
reach and process even inner geometries. However, not all granulate is
suited to the workpiece shape, and electrolyte can get jammed in the
workpiece. One of the biggest drawbacks is that this electropolishing
method cannot remove the waviness caused by the forming process
of grinding as its abrasion level is simply too low. The average process
time ranges from 30 minutes to several hours. What is more, by nature
of the process, only the exposed areas can be properly finished. The
electrolyte granulate must also be disposed of as hazardous waste once
it has reached the end of its given service life, and buying new granulate to replace it is an additional financial burden. (Figure 2)
STREAM FINISHING: A GREEN ALTERNATIVE
One thing is clear: Stream finishing results are on a par with those of
chemically accelerated mass finishing. But the key difference is that
stream finishing is a purely mechanical process that does not use
acids or electrolyte granulate, making post-processing much more
cost effective.
HOW DOES STREAM FINISHING ACHIEVE
SUCH GOOD RESULTS?
In stream finishing, which was developed in-house by OTEC, the components are clamped in a holder and immersed in a rotating container filled with an abrasive or polishing medium. The workpiece
itself also rotates, and the relative motion between the component
and the media produces an even finish without the need for manual
work. The process turns out highly precise surfaces with a roughness
as low as Ra 0.01 µm on complex geometries.
The enormous machining forces used in stream finishing can
remove material faster and more accurately than any other type of
surface processing. The fine media used can get through to the inner
geometries and process them without difficulty.
GETTING INTO GEAR: WEAR-RESISTANT
GEAR WHEELS COURTESY OF STREAM FINISHING
Lubricating film can help to reduce wear and friction between gear
wheels. During stream finishing, microscopic lubrication valleys are
produced on the workpiece surface. These are very beneficial as they
can retain lubricant. If the surface is too smooth and flat, the lubricating film between the interlocking teeth can break, resulting in
42 gearsolutions.com
Figure 3
the seizure and complete failure of the gearbox.
Stream finishing improves the overall surface quality of the gear
wheels by leveling the surface and removing roughness peaks and
machining grooves to produce an isotropic surface and an agreed
roughness based on the customer’s requirements. It employs highfriction energy to prepare the gear wheels for use when they are later
run. In addition to reducing friction and wear, the process also produces a shear layer by changing the surface structure and creating
compressive residual stress, which is highly effective in conditioning
the gear wheel for use.
STREAM FINISHING REDUCES REJECT RATE
The stream finishing process boasts an extremely low process variation of just 1 µm — which is five to 10 times lower than chemically
accelerated processes. (Figure 3)
This is good news for the production process as it means there is
greater leeway to use the tolerance range in the upstream forming
process of grinding. Having to reject workpieces due to high variation
during the finishing process is now a thing of the past. When gear
wheels must be ground to an extremely high degree of precision,
reducing the reject rate can save tens of thousands per reject.
APPLICATION EXAMPLE FOR A HIGHLY LOADED GEAR WHEEL
Before processing:
Ra 0.19 µm
Rz 1.358 µm
Rpk 0.418 µm
After processing:
Ra 0.042 µm
Rz 0.551 µm
Rpk 0.139 µm
INITIAL CONDITION
 Gear wheel made of hardened steel, 60-plus HRC, ground to an
extremely high degree of precision.
 Initial roughness: Ra of 0.19 to 0.21 µm.
 Process time: 20-35 minutes.
PROCESSING RESULT
 Extremely isotropic surface.
 Final roughness: Ra 0.042-0.084 µm.
 Striations and grooves removed.
 Uniform edge rounding.
 Very low process variation.
 Microscopic lubrication valleys produced on the surface.
THE BENEFITS OF STREAM FINISHING
 Rapid and efficient deburring, edge rounding, and smoothing
in one single step.
 Very low process variation (1 µm) compared with other methods
(~5-10 µm).
 Exceptionally high-process reliability obtained by mixing new
and reused grinding bodies.
 Extremely isotropic surface.
 No roughness peaks (Rpk < 0.1 μm): less wear, no run-in necessary, longer oil service life.
 Low risk of micropitting.
 Cost-effective process suitable for recirculation.
 No expensive disposal of abrasives.
 No handling of dangerous chemicals.
 Very short processing times — four times quicker than chemically accelerated processes.
Stream finishing is suitable for a variety of components, including
those with complex geometries, a weight of up to 200 kilograms and
a diameter of up to 650 mm, such as turbine discs, turbine blades,
blisks, servo valves, and gear wheels for the aerospace industry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This article was written and arranged by Jason Chin of Otec USA with information presented by the Otec press team in Germany. For more
information, go to www.otec.de/en.
October 2022 43