It is known that with the inexpensive chemically accelerated vibratory surface finishing
(CAVSF) process it is possible to reduce the average surface roughness of helicopter gear
teeth from the conventional 16 micro-inches (0.39 μm) down to approximately 2 micro-inches
(0.05 μm). The friction and the surface stress at the mating surfaces are remarkably
decreased. This results in an increase of the fatigue lifetime on the order of 300 to 400%,
reduced downtime, reduced component weight in new designs, less noise, higher energy
efficiency, and lower overall costs.
The CAVSF process was studied, and the effects of different factors such as the chemical
reaction and erosion during the process were examined both separately and in combination
with each other. The variation in the average material removal and the roughness during the
process for different steels and alloys was investigated, as well as the change in chemistry of
the solutions used during CAVSF. Relations were drawn from the lowest possible roughness
values to the microstructure of different carbon steels. New