Mechanical Finishing
Automated Abrasive Finishing for High-Volume Production
Q. We have a high-volume small stainless ½" × 1" part with a heavy external burr. How can we deburr and automate this part?
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Mechanical Finishing Clinic: Blasting Media That Reduce or Eliminate Ferrous Surface Contamination
Q. We are blasting our stainless parts in a blast cabinet with a finer steel shot. We are concerned about ferrous contamination but need the impact the steel media produces for our parts. What media do you recommend?
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Latest Developments in Mass Finishing
New materials, manufacturing processes, automation and the need for better surface finishes have driven new developments in mass finishing. This article discusses finishing solutions for very large and heavy parts, explains drag finishing technology, introduces surf finishing technology and showcases two new media developments.
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80 Years Helping Finishers
Our readers share how Products Finishing has helped their careers as the magazine celebrates its 80th year covering the finishing industry.
Read MorePowder Coating Clinic: Discoloration of Metal-Flake in Powder
Q. We have a metal-flake silver powder color that we use regularly. If the surface is abraded with a Taber wheel—or even a pencil eraser—it darkens significantly in the abraded area. We even have this problem when our parts scrape against cardboard packaging. Our supplier suggested we switch from an unbonded leafing aluminum to a more expensive bonded product. We tried the bonded leafing aluminum, but we still have the same problem. Certain types of friction create this effect, seemingly those that perhaps have a higher coefficient of friction. Do they remove the aluminum flake from the surface? Can you explain this problem and tell us why it happens with some abrasives and not with others? What can we do to stop this?
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Mechanical Finishing Clinic: Recoverable Blasting Media
Q. We blast with a No. 9 glass bead media in our blast cabinets, but are interested in what our hourly media cost would be and how cost compares to other medias?
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Mechanical Finishing Clinic: Pressure Blasting for Heavy Mill Scale Removal
Q. We are blasting heavy mill scales off of medium-sized parts in our suction blast cabinet with 80-grit aluminum oxide. We want to continue to blast by hand in a cabinet but would like to be more efficient. Can you suggest a quicker process?
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Mechanical Finishing Clinic: Steel, Stainless Burnishings for Edge Dulling
Q. We have a precision 5 x 6-inch stainless machined part with various small holes. We need to dull the many edges and brighten the part. We’ve tried vibratory mass finishing, but the medias wear down and lodge into the holes. What finishing system would you recommend?
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Apple Launches iPhone 7 with New "Rotational 3D Polishing"
Watch Apple chief design officer Jony Ive's video at the event that highlights a new anodized finish demonstrating a polishing called "rotational 3D polishing."
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Benchmarking a Plating Operation to No. 1
Indiana’s Electro-Spec uses Top Shops data to improve efficiencies.
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