Polishing manufactured parts is a finishing process that creates a smooth, reflective surface on a metal or other material. The process involves gradually removing a fine layer of the material’s surface using an abrasive material, a buffing tool, or a compound such as a paste or liquid. The result is a surface free of scratches, roughness, and other imperfections. Burnishing can be performed manually or using automated equipment, depending on the manufacturer’s needs. Common types of burnishing include mirror – which creates a highly reflective surface, and satin – which creates a smooth but non-reflective finish. This process is commonly used in manufacturing various products, including jewelry, metal parts, and stainless steel appliances.
| Materials | Most Materials |
|---|---|
|
Outcomes |
Aesthetics |
The process typically includes several steps:
1. Surface preparation: The surface to be polished is cleaned, and any blemishes or scratches are removed.
2. Coarse: A coarse abrasive compound removes any remaining imperfections and prepares the surface for fine burnish.
3. Medium: A softer abrasive compound is used to smooth out the surface further.
4. Fine: An excellent abrasive compound achieves a high gloss finish.
5. Buffing: A wheel or cloth is used with a compound to further enhance the surface’s shine.
6. Cleaning: The finished surface is thoroughly cleaned to remove residue.
Throughout this process, it is essential to monitor the temperature of the surface to prevent overheating and to ensure consistent results. Each step should be completed carefully and thoroughly to achieve the desired level of finish.
It is a finishing process that offers various benefits for machined or sheet metal projects. Firstly, it enhances the aesthetic appeal of the metal, giving it a mirror-like finish that is visually stunning. Additionally, it can improve the surface finish, increasing the part’s durability and improving resistance to wear and tear. It can also increase corrosion resistance, crucial for metal parts exposed to harsh environments. The process can remove stains, scratches, and other imperfections from the part’s surface, making it look brand new. It is important to note that the method is non-destructive, so it will not alter the original dimensions of the object. It is an ideal way to give your metal projects a professional finish to enhance their functionality while elevating their appearance.
AS9100 D | ISO 9001 | ISO 13485 | ITAR Registered
Casting & Molding
Added Value
Drill Size
Imperial
Metric
#107
0.0019 in
0.0483 mm
0.05 mm
0.0020 in
0.0500 mm
#106
0.0023 in
0.0584 mm
#105
0.0027 in
0.0686 mm
#104
0.0031 in
0.0787 mm
#103
0.0035 in
0.0889 mm
#102
0.0039 in
0.0991 mm
0.1 mm
0.0039 in
0.1000 mm
#101
0.0043 in
0.1092 mm
#100
0.0047 in
0.1194 mm
#99
0.0051 in
0.1295 mm
#98
0.0055 in
0.1397 mm
#97
0.0059 in
0.1499 mm
#96
0.0063 in
0.1600 mm
#95
0.0067 in
0.1702 mm
#94
0.0071 in
0.1803 mm
#93
0.0075 in
0.1905 mm
0.2 mm
0.0079 in
0.2000 mm
#92
0.0079 in
0.2007 mm
#91
0.0083 in
0.2108 mm
#90
0.0087 in
0.2210 mm
#89
0.0091 in
0.2311 mm
#88
0.0095 in
0.2413 mm
#87
0.0100 in
0.2540 mm
#86
0.0105 in
0.2667 mm
#85
0.0110 in
0.2794 mm
#84
0.0115 in
0.2921 mm
0.3 mm
0.0118 in
0.3000 mm
#83
0.0120 in
0.3048 mm
#82
0.0125 in
0.3175 mm
#81
0.0130 in
0.3302 mm
#80
0.0135 in
0.3429 mm
#79
0.0145 in
0.3680 mm
1/64 in
0.0156 in
0.3969 mm
0.4 mm
0.0158 in
0.4000 mm
#78
0.0160 in
0.4064 mm
#77
0.0180 in
0.4572 mm
0.5 mm
0.0197 in
0.5000 mm
#76
0.0200 in
0.5080 mm
#75
0.0210 in
0.5334 mm
#74
0.0225 in
0.5715 mm
0.6 mm
0.0236 in
0.6000 mm
#73
0.0240 in
0.6069 mm
#72
0.0250 in
0.6350 mm
#71
0.0260 in
0.6604 mm
0.7 mm
0.0276 in
0.7000 mm
#70
0.0280 in
0.7112 mm
#69
0.0292 in
0.7417 mm
#68
0.0310 in
0.7874 mm
1/32 in
0.0313 in
0.7938 mm
0.8 mm
0.0315 in
0.8000 mm
#67
0.0320 in
0.8128 mm
#66
0.0330 in
0.8382 mm
#65
0.0350 in
0.8890 mm
0.9 mm
0.0354 in
0.9000 mm
#64
0.0360 in
0.9144 mm
#63
0.0370 in
0.9398 mm
#62
0.0380 in
0.9652 mm
#61
0.0390 in
0.9906 mm
1 mm
0.0394 in
1.0000 mm
#60
0.0400 in
1.0160 mm
#59
0.0410 in
1.0414 mm
#58
0.0420 in
1.0668 mm
#57
0.0430 in
1.0922 mm
1.1 mm
0.0433 in
1.1000 mm
#56
0.0465 in
1.1811 mm
3/64 in
0.0469 in
1.1906 mm
1.2 mm
0.0472 in
1.2000 mm
1.3 mm
0.0512 in
1.3000 mm
#55
0.0520 in
1.3208 mm
#54
0.0550 in
1.3970 mm
1.4 mm
0.0551 in
1.4000 mm
1.5 mm
0.0591 in
1.5000 mm
#53
0.0595 in
1.5113 mm
1/16 in
0.0625 in
1.5875 mm
1.6 mm
0.0630 in
1.6000 mm
#52
0.0635 in
1.6129 mm
1.7 mm
0.0669 in
1.7000 mm
#51
0.0670 in
1.7018 mm
#50
0.0700 in
1.7780 mm
1.8 mm
0.0709 in
1.8000 mm
#49
0.0730 in
1.8542 mm
1.9 mm
0.0748 in
1.9000 mm
#48
0.0760 in
1.9304 mm
5/64 in
0.0781 in
1.9844 mm
#47
0.0785 in
1.9939 mm
2 mm
0.0787 in
2.0000 mm
#46
0.0810 in
2.0574 mm
#45
0.0820 in
2.0828 mm
2.1 mm
0.0827 in
2.1000 mm
#44
0.0860 in
2.1844 mm
2.2 mm
0.0866 in
2.2000 mm
#43
0.0890 in
2.2606 mm
2.3 mm
0.0906 in
2.3000 mm
#42
0.0935 in
2.3749 mm
3/32 in
0.0938 in
2.3813 mm
2.4 mm
0.0945 in
2.4000 mm
#41
0.0960 in
2.4384 mm
#40
0.0980 in
2.4892 mm
2.5 mm
0.0984 in
2.5000 mm
#39
0.0995 in
2.5273 mm
#38
0.1015 in
2.5781 mm
2.6 mm
0.1024 in
2.6000 mm
#37
0.1040 in
2.6416 mm
2.7 mm
0.1063 in
2.7000 mm
#36
0.1065 in
2.7051 mm
7/64 in
0.1094 in
2.7781 mm
#35
0.1100 in
2.7940 mm
2.8 mm
0.1102 in
2.8000 mm
#34
0.1110 in
2.8194 mm
#33
0.1130 in
2.8702 mm
2.9 mm
0.1142 in
2.9000 mm
#32
0.1160 in
2.9464 mm
3 mm
0.1181 in
3.0000 mm
3.1 mm
0.1221 in
3.1000 mm
1/8 in
0.1250 in
3.1750 mm
3.2 mm
0.1260 in
3.2000 mm
#30
0.1285 in
3.2639 mm
3.3 mm
0.1299 in
3.3000 mm
3.4 mm
0.1339 in
3.4000 mm
#29
0.1360 in
3.4544 mm
9/64 in
0.1406 in
3.5719 mm
5/32 in
0.1563 in
3.9688 mm
11/64 in
0.1719 in
4.3656 mm
3/16 in
0.1875 in
4.7625 mm
13/64 in
0.2031 in
5.1594 mm
7/32 in
0.2188 in
5.5563 mm
15/64 in
0.2344 in
5.9531 mm
1/4 in
0.2500 in
6.3500 mm
17/64 in
0.2656 in
6.7469 mm
9/32 in
0.2813 in
7.1438 mm
19/64 in
0.2969 in
7.5406 mm
5/16 in
0.3125 in
7.9375 mm
21/64 in
0.3281 in
8.3344 mm
11/32 in
0.3438 in
8.7313 mm
23/64 in
0.3594 in
9.1281 mm
3/8 in
0.3750 in
9.5250 mm
25/64 in
0.3906 in
9.9219 mm
13/32 in
0.4063 in
10.3188 mm
27/64 in
0.4219 in
10.7156 mm
7/16 in
0.4375 in
11.1125 mm
29/64 in
0.4531 in
11.5094 mm
15/32 in
0.4688 in
11.9063 mm
31/64 in
0.4844 in
12.3031 mm
1/2 in
0.5 in
12.700 mm
33/64 in
0.5156 in
13.0969 mm
17/32 in
0.5313 in
13.4938 mm
35/64 in
0.5469 in
13.8906 mm
9/16 in
0.5625 in
14.2875 mm
37/64 in
0.5781 in
14.6844 mm
19/32 in
0.5938 in
15.0813 mm
39/64 in
0.6094 in
15.4781 mm
5/8 in
0.6250 in
15.8750 mm
41/64 in
0.6406 in
16.2719 mm
43/64 in
0.6719 in
17.0656 mm
11/16 in
0.6875 in
17.4625 mm
45/64 in
0.7031 in
17.8594 mm
23/32 in
0.7188 in
18.2563 mm
47/64 in
0.7344 in
18.6531 mm
3/4 in
0.7500 in
19.0500 mm
49/64 in
0.7656 in
19.4469 mm
25/32 in
0.7813 in
19.8438 mm
51/64 in
0.7969 in
20.2406 mm
13/16 in
0.8125 in
20.6375 mm
53/64 in
0.8281 in
21.0344 mm
27/32 in
0.8438 in
21.4313 mm
55/64 in
0.8594 in
21.8281 mm
7/8 in
0.8750 in
22.2250 mm
57/64 in
0.8906 in
22.6219 mm
29/32 in
0.9063 in
23.0188 mm
21/23 in
0.9130 in
23.1913 mm
59/64 in
0.9219 in
23.4156 mm
15/16 in
0.9375 in
23.8125 mm
61/64 in
0.9531 in
24.2094 mm
31/32 in
0.9688 in
24.6063 mm
63/64 in
0.9844 in
25.0031 mm
1 in
1.0000 in
25.4000 mm
1 1/64 in
1.0156 in
25.7969 mm
1 1/32 in
1.0313 in
26.1938 mm
1 3/64 in
1.0469 in
26.5906 mm
1 1/16 in
1.0625 in
26.9875 mm
1 5/64 in
1.0781 in
27.3844 mm
1 3/32 in
1.0938 in
27.7813 mm
1 7/64 in
1.1094 in
28.1781 mm
1 1/8 in
1.1250 in
28.5750 mm
1 9/64 in
1.1406 in
28.9719 mm
1 5/32 in
1.1563 in
29.3688 mm
1 11/64 in
1.1719 in
29.7656 mm
1 3/16 in
1.1875 in
30.1625 mm
1 13/64 in
1.2031 in
30.5594 mm
1 7/32 in
1.2188 in
30.9563 mm
1 15/64 in
1.2344 in
31.3531 mm
1 1/4 in
1.2500 in
31.7500 mm
1 17/64 in
1.2656 in
32.1469 mm
1 9/32 in
1.2813 in
32.5438 mm
1 19/64 in
1.2969 in
32.9406 mm
1 5/16 in
1.3125 in
33.3375 mm
1 21/64 in
1.3281 in
33.7344 mm
1 11/32 in
1.3438 in
34.1313 mm
1 23/64 in
1.3594 in
34.5281 mm
1 3/8 in
1.3750 in
34.9250 mm
1 25/64 in
1.3906 in
35.3219 mm
1 13/32 in
1.4063 in
35.7188 mm
1 27/64 in
1.4219 in
36.1156 mm
1 7/16 in
1.4375 in
36.5125 mm
1 29/64 in
1.4531 in
36.9094 mm
1 15/32 in
1.4688 in
37.3063 mm
1 31/64 in
1.4844 in
37.7031 mm
1 1/2 in
1.5000 in
38.1000 mm
