The Difference Between Grinding, Polishing, and Deburring

Grinding, polishing, and deburring—anybody who knows anything about the precision machining process knows that these three processes are a.) crucial, and b.) acts of surface finishing. These three processes are very similar to each other, and for decades have been making people ask the same questions: What’s the difference? And why do we need to do all three processes? Both of these questions are valid, and we have the answers to both below.

The difference between grinding, polishing, and deburring.

1. Grinding

This is the process of removing material and shaping a workpiece into its final form. Grinding can be done on a multitude of materials, such as plastic, ceramic, and many different metals (stainless steel, titanium, high-nickel alloys, etc.). In order to complete this process, grinding wheels of different abrasives are used in various machines made specifically for grinding. It’s important that the correct kind of abrasive is used, as too soft of an abrasive can’t grind a workpiece enough, while too hard of an abrasive will damage a workpiece and result in decreased part quality or scrapped part. Overall, grinding is essential because it improves a part’s surface finish, which not only provides the aesthetic many industries require, but also ensures the removal of pesky surface imperfections.

2. Polishing

Polishing is the process surface finishing, which is also known as the process of improving surface quality. Using softer, smaller abrasives like polishing compounds and wheels, surface imperfections such as scratches and unwanted film/layers are removed to achieve a part’s desired texture (as different industries require different surface finishes). Polishing can be done by hand, machine, or robot, as it doesn’t require quite as much precision as grinding or deburring do. This step can be taken farther with buffing, which gives parts a finish similar to that of a mirror.

3. Deburring

This process is the act of removing burrs from a part’s surface. Burrs are extra bits of metal that form as a part is being cut, and can be extremely harmful both for a part’s functionality and the overall assembly it’s a part of. Deburring can be done by hand or in a machine, though hand deburring proves to be inconsistent and costly. The process of deburring requires extreme precision, as any leftover bit of metal can cause inconsistencies that result in the decrease of a part’s longevity and efficiency. Deburring is required for any part that has been previously machined and can be done on a variety of different materials, such as ceramic, stainless steel, wood, titanium, and more. What makes it an essential process is it ensures parts meet industry standards and helps reduce the possible formation of stress risers.

Surface Profiling

Seeing as all three of these processes fall under surface finishing, it’s important to know how surface finish is measured. Surface profiling is the measurement of a surface’s roughness, which allows manufacturers to know how adequately prepared a part is for further processing, especially when it comes to the part coating and assembly stages. A profilometer is the tool used to measure these surfaces and can be split into two categories: contact and non-contact. Contact profilometers use a stylus to map out the highs and lows of the surface (also known as peaks and valleys) which allow operators to gauge how smooth or rough a workpiece surface truly is. A non-contact profilometer uses image sensors to detect a surface’s texture. While this is the faster of the two profilometers, it’s extremely sensitive to any dirt or oil that may be coating a part’s surface.

Why does manufacturing require all three processes?

Ultimately, grinding, polishing, and deburring are all needed for the same reasons: dimensional accuracy, part efficiency, corrosion resistance, and improved functionality. All of these processes refine parts so they’re safe, functional, and meet industry standards. In other words, it’s the manufacturing equivalent of editing a piece of writing before publishing. A part might work fine enough after it’s just been cut, but without grinding, polishing, and deburring, it probably won’t fit into its assembly correctly, and it certainly won’t reach its ultimate level of efficiency and precision. The time and energy spent on these three process ensure that overall assemblies will require less maintenance, which saves operators and businesses precious time and money.

The Machine that can do it all

One of the most efficient ways of grinding, polishing, and deburring on the market is by using the MAX, an all-encompassing finishing machine sold and manufactured by James Engineering. This deburring and chamfering machine is capable of carrying out all three process concurrently. This means a part can be deburred, ground, and polished in one go. This machine also has a consistent precision unreachable by any hand-done method or other machine. The MAX makes all three processes easy and affordable, which ultimately revolutionizes any operation.

To watch the MAX in action, check out the James Engineering YouTube channel here.

To inquire more about the MAX, call (303) 444-6787 today.

The Grind Never Stops

Grinding wheels are vital in the manufacturing world—they’re how machinists polish rough edges and achieve consistent chamfers. The size and abrasiveness of these wheels very depending on what materials they’re made of. This will directly correlate with what gears/parts the wheels are used for.

Here at James Engineering, we have an extensive stock of various grinding wheels and sell them at competitive prices. Let’s get into the 3 main wheels we sell and why you need to know the difference between them.

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1. The Woven Fiberglass Wheel

This is your typical grinding wheel made from a homogenous blend of aluminum oxide and powdered resin. The tops and bottoms of these wheels are pressed with fiberglass, which acts as a strengthening agent and ensures the wheels don’t break while spinning.

Pros: They’re quick, and they’re aggressive, meaning their time efficient and great for cutting.

Cons: They can sometimes be a little too aggressive. These wheels can cut too deeply and have an extreme tendency to bounce, as they have no dampening factor.

2. The Woven Cloth Wheel

This wheel is comprised of cotton, liquid resin, and aluminum oxide. You might be thinking, cotton, really? But it really works! Strips of cotton cloth are layered between layers of resin, and these many layers keep the wheel’s structure from falling apart.

Pros: These wheels are great for chamfering due to the fact they don’t bounce nearly as much as fiberglass wheels do since the cotton acts as a dampening agent. The fact that they’re softer, and don’t have as much bounce, means the parts/gears they’re working on can be spun at faster rates, achieving a quicker and smoother chamfer.

Cons: They’re a bit too soft for cutting. Believe it or not, cotton isn’t very sharp.

3. The Woven Carbon Fiber Wheel

This is the most unique wheel sold at James Engineering. In fact, it’s so unique and rare that we are the only ones to carry it! These wheels are made of carbon fiber and resin, and nothing more. There’s no abrasive added to them, but the carbon itself acts as a very mild abrasive.

Pros: They’re perfect for those with very niche needs. They create extremely subtle chamfers and have beautiful surfacing abilities. They’re also great to use at trade shows because they won’t tear apart gears or non-gears during demonstration.

Cons: They’re very, very gentle, so they can’t do very much. Since they have no abrasive added to them, they make cutting and grinding a drawn-out process—essentially, they’re mostly for people who need very petite chamfers.

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Whatever your grinding needs consist of, James Engineering will help you find the most perfectly-fitting wheel. We’ll even send you a sample or two!

 If you’re interested to know even more about the different kind of grinding wheels we sell, check out https://www.james-engineering.com/grinding-wheels.