Get Metal Finishes to Shine
Every metal part out there looks better with a pristine shine. That’s why burnishing is important. Not only will the part look better, but it will also feel smooth to the touch without damaging or removing metal. Understanding both ball and roller burnishing will lead to a shiny, smooth surfaces.
Ball Burnishing
A highly reflective surface is achieved by a tumbling process, or ball burnishing. The process of ball burnishing combines the brightness and weight of steel media with compounds that are designed to produce a specific luster and color on the part. Ball burnishing’s major function is to make parts look bright. The heavy and dense steel flattens the part’s peaks of the surface profile in order to create a larger area in one plane to reflect light, which is perceived visually as a shine.
Since there is no abrasive in the steel media, rough surfaces, sharp edges, and burrs are rolled or pounded over. Another advantage is that the weight of the steel and the process work hardens the surface and strengthens the part. High reflection is often referred to as a “mirror finish.” Vibratory finishing doesn’t just produce a surface that is free of distortion, it can yield attractive parts that have a smooth touch and shine.
Roller Burnishing
Roller burnishing enables fast and repeatable finishing of metal surfaces. It is also done without putting it through an abrasive process such as grinding or removing metal. Like ball burnishing, the surface of a metal is polished through sliding contact with a harder object – often times part on part tumbling. Now, you may ask what the difference is between roller and ball burnishing. The answer is quite simple. The surface area between the smaller and the part is often smaller in ball than roller burnishing using the same force. The ball will therefore penetrate inside the metallic surface deeper than the roller.
If you are looking to make your metal parts shine without removing any of the metal or damaging them, part on part burnishing is what you need. While ball burnishing is more efficient, roller burnishing also allows for fast and repeated finishing of surfaces.
Contact us today to find out more about part-on-part burnishing and the tools that will help you achieve smooth, shining surfaces. Kramer Industries is always there to make sure your project is finished right from the start.