Research on the Determination of the Roughness of Some Sintered Metallic Materials

The purpose of this work is to determine the roughness and interpret the results obtained after applying surface treatments with optical radiation pulses (ORP) on sintered metal powder parts, using gas discharge lamps (GDL). In the field of machine construction and industry, depending on the functional role of the components, rapid and ultra-rapid local heating treatments can be applied, with speeds of over 10³ m/s, with concentrated energy sources (photon beams, electron beams, plasma, incoherent optical radiation pulses). These treatments improve the roughness, hardness, and wear resistance characteristics of the surface layer on thicknesses ranging from millimeters to microns. The research method consisted of experimental investigation, which involved designing an experimental program corresponding to the following stages: establishing the objectives; choosing the material of the parts; establishing the experimental device; carrying out the treatment; measuring the roughness results and interpreting them. For research, a type of rocker arm support type parts was chosen, with a composition that is part of the iron-graphite-copper system, having a content of 0.72% C which lends itself to microstructural transformations in the surface layer of the parts. The roughness values obtained confirm the potential of GDL to achieve superficial structural modifications.