part shape and type, not just by
the chart-recommended SFPM for
the metal type.
A large-volume finishing company that manufactures
stamped 301 stainless steel
automotive parts was
challenged to buff a
product it had been
working with for
more than 30 years
with one small difference: the product was
no longer two-dimensional. Instead, it was
three-dimensional and
required a buffed finish
in openings that were
1.5 and 2 inches below the
primary surface and at angles
of 90 and 75 percent.
This contract had eluded the
company for five years, as it could
not find the proper process to sufficiently buff those deep areas. It
tried its existing process for standard production parts, which used
medium-diameter buffs running
at the industry standard of 1,750
rpm. For heavy cuts, treated cloth
and sisal buffs stacked without
spacing were used. Mill-treated
cotton buffs stacked without spacing were used for the cut and color
motions, and the final color head
used 86/80 untreated color
buffs and was also stacked
without spacing.
The use of mediumand finer-grade cut
and color compounds
for the final coloring
heads also were a
staple in the process.
The spindle rotation
of the part was in the
50-rpm range, which
had been determined
over many years to be
the optimum speed for
buffing on the flat part shape,
and for finish and cycle time
requirements.
Above, designed for mush and deep mush applications, a sew pleat design
construction provides excellent cut with the benefits of conformability.
Below, a dip-treated sisal is designed for maximum cut on stainless steel and
steel applications.
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