Experimental Observation for Surface Modification of Metal Plates Using Continuous Electron Beam Polishing (CEBP)

The finish process is the most important to determine the quality of the products. In this study, the surface modification of metal plates using the continuous electron beam has been adopted as the final process. The general materials such as SM20C, SUS303 and Al6061 were selected to evaluate the performance of the finishing process using the continuous electron beam. Surface modifications have been carried out with respect to various conditions. Based on the analysis of changing surface properties, the optimal conditions were extracted to obtain the smooth surface. The change in microstructure after irradiation was observed to identify the metallurgical variation within the thin re-solidification layer of these targeting materials. In addition, the changes of surface contact angle and surface hardness after and before irradiation were analyzed.