Mechanical Finishing

Mass Finish that Looks like Custom

I recently viewed a custom motorcycle with highly polished stainless steel parts, including the large exhaust pieces. The owner said the parts were tumbled. I examined the parts for the telltale surface marks of mass finishing, but I could see nothing of the sort. All he would say was that it is a proprietary tumbling process used in a custom finishing shop, and that there was no hand finishing. Can you shed any light on this process?

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Show and Tell

¿Qué son compuestos pará limpiar y pulir accesorios metalicos? (What are compounds for cleaning and polishing metal parts?)

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Glass Bead Blasting?

We are blasting small (1-inch diameter × 3/4-inch) zinc die castings to remove light flash and impart an isotropic finish. Our customer has seen some similar parts that were airblasted with approximately 100 mesh glass beads, and he prefers that finish. Could we provide a similar finish if we changed from the small steel shot to glass beads?

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A Little Knowledge Doubles Productivity

My problem is that we are running out of machine capacity, and my orders are to keep up without investing in a new machine. What are some suggestions to get more production from this equipment—I really need at least 18 loads a day.

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Time to Update Technology

Recently, a vendor suggested an abrasive compound to reduce cycle time. We tried that but cycle time is not much shorter, and the added compound cost is not justified. In addition, the abrasive compound quickly overwhelms our wastewater filter. Have you any other advice?

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Finished Parts Fly High

Mass finishing methods for aircraft components

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How to Dry Parts After Mass Finishing

Can you suggest the best method for drying following deburring?

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Clingier Can Be Better

Gel cleaners extend dwell time, provide better cleaning

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Improving Tank Life

Can you give us suggestions for improving the tank life of the solution?

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Part-On-Part Deburring 101

You recommended part on part deburring for one of our parts, and I am looking for more opportunities to use this method. Here are some questions I have: Do I always have to use abrasive compound? What are the largest parts you can do this way? Can parts get bent? Will different parts require different machine settings? Can I exceed the weight load limit of the machine?

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