Vibratory finishing is just one of the many ways a company can help turn your raw, freshly manufactured part into a sleek and aesthetically pleasing component for the production line. Additionally, by taking advantage of a finishing service, you can remove potential risks to your workers as die cut and extruded metal parts can be extremely sharp and dangerous to handle before they have been finished. Companies that specialize in finishing a variety of parts have the experience needed to handle safely them through all stages of the deburring or polishing process, as well as the machinery needed to ensure each part gets the coverage it needs.
The Function of Finishing Media
Media can refer to a wide variety of materials including other metals, wool, stone, ceramic, plastic, and even rubber. This media is used to cushion the parts while they are in a mass batch machine for finishing. It also helps provide separation between parts to ensure all pieces receive the same finishing on every visible surface. Media placed in the machines are normally of a variety of sizes from minuscule to large. The large parts can help to remove the extreme sharpness from corners and edges while the smaller parts can get into areas manual tools may not be able to reach. This provides a complete and total coverage of the part to ensure it meets your expectations when returned.
What does Finishing Provide?
In addition to reducing the danger from sharp edges and corners, vibratory finishing can remove burrs from the plasma cutting process, improve the surface of parts to help them hold a coating of paint, clean them of dust collected during the manufacturing process, polish and shine them to provide a pleasant aesthetic, and dry them to help prevent corrosion directly after the manufacturing process has completed.
Are the Parts Visible?
One of the most commonly asked questions is whether or not the parts are visible. Since often finishing times provides an appealing shine to the part, some find it strange that the consumer never sees most finished parts. However, a clean and shiny part is not just good to look at – it also has better corrosion resistance as there are no microscopic areas for moisture to collect and cause the metal to break down. Well-polished parts also provide better electrical resistance as needed which is common for computers, radios, and other electronics. While it depends on your unique manufacturing needs, often you will find such a nice looking finished part will never be seen in the finished product once it leaves the production floor.
