Abstract
This report describes the effect of liquid honing on the fatigue strength of piano wires.
In this investigation, wires with diameter of 2, 3, 4 and 5mm were used. They were liquid honed under six different conditions with three sizes of glass beads, and then tested with a rotating bending fatigue tester.
The results obtained are summarized as follows:
(1) The surface of the liquid honed wires was smooth and dull with fine depressions.
(2) The improvement in fatigue strength of liquid honed wires increased as the wire diameter decreased; it was 30% for 5mm diameter wire, and 40% for 2mm diameter wire.
(3) To obtain maximum fatigue strength, the optimum condition of liquid honing was different for each wire diameter, i. e. the honing intensity should be kept modest for small diameter and stronger for large diameter.
(4) The fatigue strength of wire is considered to be increased, mainly by the residual compression stress appearing on the honed surface layer.
