Finishing Services

Hand Polishing

At a glance

Applicable Materials

Colors

N/A

Applications

Enhanced cosmetic appearance

Texture

Smooth and glossy

About the Process

Hand polishing is a manual process where the part is sanded, then buffed on a set of abrasive wheels or rouges to achieve the desired surface finish. This is a subtractive process that removes material in order to eliminate scratches and other imperfections.

Design considerations

  • Radiused corners and edges generally produce better results than sharp ones
  • Wall thicknesses less than 1.5mm do not hold up as well during polishing
  • Internal or hard to reach features (including threads) are difficult or impossible to polish
  • Very tight tolerances, reamed holes, and threads may need to be excluded from polishing

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

6+ Axis CNC Machining: Capabilities, Design Rules, and When It’s Worth the Investment

For engineers designing complex machined parts, the advantages of moving from 3-axis to 5-axis machining are well understood. The most capable higher-axis configurations— including 6-axis machining centers, turn-mill platforms, 9-axis and 12-axis cells, and Swiss-type turning—are less clearly defined and often poorly understood by engineers who haven’t worked with them directly.  This article explains what […]

Learn More

The Manufacturing Cost Curve: How Quantity Affects Per-Part Price

Request a quote for a single CNC-machined part, then request one for 50 of the same part. The per-unit price will look different—often as much as 70% lower at the higher quantity. The total spend goes up, but the cost per part drops sharply.  This happens across every custom manufacturing process—CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet […]

Learn More