Metal finishing or metal polishing service is the final step in providing a smooth finish and an attractive appearance to a metal component. However, a metal polishing service does so much more than create a perfect look. It is about solving what are critical surface problems.
Types of Metal Polishing Processes
Metal finishing relies on many methods to obtain the desired surface results. Companies and fabricators select the method based on a variety of factors including application, environment, expertise, metal surface type and cost. One of the most common is electropolishing. Others include:
- Metal Plating
- Buff Polishing
- Brushed Metal
- Metal Grinding
- Metal Vibratory Finishing
- Sand Blasting
- Powder Coating
- Machine Tumbling
- Cladding
In general, professionals look at metal polishing services in terms of the processes. Except for a few, they all fall into one of the three following categories:
- Plating
- Chemical conversion
- Electrochemical conversion
Cladding, vapor deposition, case hardening and electropolishing are four exceptions to this.
What Do Metal Polishing Processes Accomplish?
The intent of the metal polishing process is more than to produce a pretty or attractive surface. Although the specifics of the process and the technique do vary, in general finishing actually performs a critical service. It handles the following:
Deburrs: Dissolves or rubs away surface metal from edges (burrs)
Removes scratches: These can occur in various processes. Finishing will remove them
Addresses Corrosion: Polishing can eradicate various contaminants in the surface of the metal that can lead to oxidation as a result producing instruments, components etc. that are various degrees of corrosion resistant
Accomplishes micro-finishing: This process results in a smooth surface essential for items that need to be finely honed e.g. medical instrumentation
Size: Some methods of metal polishing can help with reducing the size of a component. This can be beneficial when it comes to mistakes in component size. Some methods can actually rescue over large components by shaving them down to the right size. This reduces the amount of material bound for the scrap bin.
Such methods as electropolishing can accomplish these tasks and more.
Metal Polishing Service
When you ask a fabricator to finish your product, you have a clear understanding of the intended result. You will have considered the methods and chosen the best option for your application accordingly. While the intent may be for the product to emerge with a pristine and attractive appearance, you are aware of the benefits such techniques provide on their way to accomplishing this goal. The methods can address surface issues and improve certain properties of the base metal surface e.g. corrosion resistance. By employing the right metal polishing service, any manufacturing company will always receive more than a “pretty” result.
