Mass finishing is a universal term used to describe a group of abrasive industrial processes by which large lots of parts or components made from metal or other materials can be economically processed in bulk to achieve one or several of a variety of surface effects. These include deburring, descaling, surface smoothing, edge-break, radius formation, removal of surface contaminants from heat treat and other processes, preplate and pre-paint or coating surface preparation, blending in surface irregularities from machining or fabricating operations, producing reflective surfaces with non-abrasive burnishing media, refining surfaces, and developing super-finish or microfinish equivalent surface profiles.
Many manufactured parts need deburring or some type of surface finishing work. In order to keep costs down, manufacturers look to mass finishing. The centrifugal barrel machine and the vibratory finishing machine are as versatile as a Swiss Army knife. Depending on the material you are finishing will determine the method and media that is used in the process. Here at ISO Finishing, we are experts in finishing all material types. We have years of experience finishing different alloys and materials. Developing, documenting, and sharing the detailed process with each client is our common practice. We can work on any material to remove burrs, radius edges, improve surface properties, clean, deflash and/or descale.
Aluminum
Being a metal, aluminium is amenable to mechanical finishing processes commonly used with other metals, and can usually be used with the same equipment without disadvantage, although to exploit the more unique characteristics of aluminium alloys, special equipment is frequently desirable. Generally, mechanical finishes rely either on processes which remove metal by abrasion (grinding, polishing, buffing, blasting). As with other materials, finishes for aluminium are designed to either preserve an existing surface or promote a new one which is visually or functionally more desirable. Whether you need to remove burrs, radius edges, improve surface properties, clean, or descale/deflash an aluminum part, our finish experts will work with you to develop and fully document the process.
Copper
Copper parts are widely used in electric, light industry, machinery manufacturing, construction industry, chemical industry, defense industry and other industries. The surface finishing of copper parts differ among each industry. The surface of copper will be anodized to varying degree because of the environmental impact. The surface protection treatment is necessary to a new appearance and the performance of corrosion resistance. For world-class copper finishing, ISO Finishing has you covered. Our leading metal finishing job shop is equipped to handle copper parts batches ranging from one to thousands of parts. We specialize in two copper finishing methods: Centrifugal Barrel Finishing and Vibratory Finishing.
Plastic
Injection molding is the principle manufacturing method for plastic part production. After production, plastic parts may be subjected to one or more finishing processes like deflashing or cleaning. During the injection process, excess material, called “flash”, may leak out between mold cavity halves. Deflashing methods are used to remove this flash and involves loading parts to a machine where they are then tumbled or vibrated. Plastic parts often require some form of cleaning after molding. Processing aids, such as mold release agents may leave a residue, while grease and dirt can be picked up from the molding machine. Even the natural oils of the operator’s hands can interfere with final surface treatment. All these contaminants can interfere with the bonding action of any post-molding decoration or surface treatment.
Rubber
Rubber is used in a variety of industries to make seals and various tubing pieces for mechanical and electrical applications. When the rubber parts are cast, they are often left with small pieces called “flash” from the liquid rubber running out of the molds. ISO Finishing High-Energy CBF machines are one of the most efficient processes for deflashing rubber. Companies that make rubber seals and gaskets call on us to complete their production process. Common rubber parts that have been finished by ISO Finishing include spark-plug covers, gaskets, o-rings and other molded rubber parts.
Silicone
Typical applications for liquid silicone rubber are products that require high precision such as seals, sealing membranes, electric connectors, multi-pin connectors, infant products where smooth surfaces are desired, such as bottle nipples, medical applications as well as kitchen goods such as baking pans, spatulas, etc. ISO Finishing recognizes that the surface finish can significantly enhance the performance of something like a seals. With our knowledge, experience and machines we can identify effective surface finishing methods required for an material.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel tumbling involves polishing rough parts to achieve a smooth metal finish. This stainless steel finishing process is especially crucial in the medical industry. Stainless steel surgical instruments are among just few of the stainless steel parts we have experience working on. At ISO Finishing, we specialize in two types of stainless steel tumbling: high-energy centrifugal barrel finishing (CBF) and vibratory finishing.
Steel
ISO Finishing supplies quality mass finishing equipment solutions for many types of materials including steel. We develop the perfect process that combines the right surface finishing machine, media, tooling to hold the part and process cycle time to ensure a high quality surface finish that is repeatable, consistent and cost effective. Single parts to mass finishing and simple parts to complex geometries, we can find the optimum finishing method for you with any material.
Titanium
Due to its physical properties, titanium has become widely used in many industries. Its high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, improved fatigue life and ability to withstand high temperatures have made titanium the choice for many aerospace and marine applications. The biocompatible nature of titanium has also opened up use in many medical applications. You will often find surgical implants, dental implants and tools constructed from titanium. For the highest caliber titanium polishing and buffing services, many industries rely on ISO Finishing’s services. We harness a wide-ranging set of titanium polishing and buffing capabilities to deliver second-to-none results to our clients. We have spent many years fine-tuning our titanium polishing and buffing techniques.