Used to improve the appearance and shine of metalwork, polishing is an abrasive process that utilises a work wheel to ‘buff’ the material. The primary process is the most abrasive, followed by increasingly finer abrasive processes used in succession to achieve a bright, shiny finish.
Two different techniques can be used depending on the intensity of the required shine. ‘Cut motion’ uses medium to heavy pressure, resulting in a semi-bright effect, whilst ‘colour motion’ achieves a brighter finish using lighter pressure.
Polishing is a popular finish that is used on a wide variety of components, including automotive parts and consumer products such as hand tools, kitchenware and cutlery. It can also be used on a range of metals including copper, brass, steel, titanium and aluminium.