A Guide to Vibratory Finishing Media

What is Vibratory Finishing?

The vibratory finish is the final step in the plating process, and includes the grinding of unwanted burrs, smoothing sharp edges and providing a polished finish. The shape, material and size of the vibrating means vary according to the material, shape and strength of the pieces. The choice of the right finishing medium optimizes the quality of your finished product while providing profitable and mass produced results.

Types of Finishing Media

Finishing media materials include:

• Ceramic
• Plastic
• Steel
• Organic compounds

Other means, such as glass beads, are occasionally used; however, in most cases, their parts will end up using one or more of the four main media types.

Ceramics and Plastic Media

Ceramic and plastic media represent eighty to ninety percent of the finishing media. Ceramic media have a relatively high density and are used to grind and polish hard metals such as steel, stainless steel and titanium. Ceramic media also includes porcelain made of pure aluminum oxide. Porcelain is used for finer grinding and produces a high gloss finish.

Ceramic media is strong and durable, but can splinter. The loose chips in the finishing means can be housed in perforations and other small areas in metal parts.

Plastic media usually have a polyester base, but some media may be based on urea or formaldehyde. Plastic media are generally used for "softer" metals, such as aluminum, brass and zinc.

Both ceramic and plastic media are mixed with abrasives during finishing. Common abrasive types include silica, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide and zirconium. Silica, or sand, is used to debur and thaw softer metals. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide are used for aggressive grinding, usually in harder metals. Zirconium is added to lighter plastic media to add some weight, and is used to finely grind all types of metals.

Steel and Organic Media

The steel means are made of hardened carbon and stainless steel, and are generally used to apply pressure to the pieces of deburred steel, as well as for the polishing of balls and the polishing of stainless steel (and occasionally aluminum).

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At the other end of the steel's resistance spectrum is the organic finishing medium, which includes corncob granules and nutshells. Organic media is mainly used to dry parts after vibratory finishing. It can also be used to produce a high gloss finish in stainless steel, aluminum and other metals when mixed with a polishing paste.

The Importance of Shape

Finishing media come in a variety of sizes, from cylinders and balls to pyramids and sharp-edged stars. The shape of the pieces that are finished generally determines the shape of the finishing medium. For general use, round, oval and cylindrical media are preferred. Rounded surfaces wear well and are less likely to lodge in parts than materials with sharp edges. Round and cylindrical ceramic media also have lower chipping rates.

Triangles, arrowheads and three star shapes are more suitable for finishing complex parts with hard-to-reach sections, but have a higher wear rate and are more susceptible to splintering.

Size also matters when vibrating turning means are selected. Smaller media have more contact with the surface area of ​​the pieces than larger materials and produce a smoother and more attractive surface. Production times are longer for polishing small media, because the smaller finishing material requires smoother processing.

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Larger media produce a rougher surface, but lend themselves to more aggressive grinding. The large finishing material provides quick burr removal and is also effective for rounding sharp edges.