Electropolishing as a service
We electropolish your workpieces in our own equipment.
The following equipment is available:
An automatic plant for a max. part size of 2700 x 600 x 850 mm
A manual plant for large parts of a max. size of 1400 x 1400 x 1400 mm
A barrel for small bulk parts, such as screws, turned and stamped parts
In contrast to mechanical polishing, electrolytic polishing is highly dependent on the material alloys, their composition and quality, but also their pre-treatment and workmanship.
Orders for electropolishing services must contain the exact material designation. We mainly electropolish stainless austenitic chrome-nickel steels (mostly material No. ASTM 304).
The following materials are suitable for electropolishing: ASTM 316 as well as low carbonaceous steels with less than 0,07 % carbon prior to a heat treatment, and steels with less than 0,03 % carbon, such as ASTM 304L, 316, 316L. Steels stabilized with titanium or niobium, such as ASTM 321 and 316Ti are only suitable for electropolishing to a limited extent.
Parts delivered to us for electropolishing and deburring must be degreased and free from scale. They must not contain insulating contaminations, such as traces of paint or films. Slag inclusions in the weld seam cannot be removed by electropolishing. Pre-treatment of the weld seams by pickling, brushing or grinding is necessary before delivering the parts for electropolishing.
It should also be noted that stainless parts must not be treated with tools which have previously been used for ferrous parts. Ferrous particles can lead to defective polishing finish and rust formation.
Parts to electropolish must be designed accordingly for the process. Cavities which are not absolutely tightly welded must be equipped with sufficient holes for rinsing - one hole is not sufficient.
In overlapping or riveted parts or parts which contain crevices or leaking connections problems may occur since those parts cannot be rinsed properly. In these cases, the electrolyte cannot be removed completely which can lead to stains and corrosion.
Ablation and roughness: Depending on bath times, current density and temperature of the bath, an ablation takes places during electrolytic polishing and deburring - in general, an ablation from 20 to 50 microns, which might, however, be higher in some cases.
Surfaces treated with other polishing processes cannot be compared with electropolished surfaces on the basis of the roughness depth. Despite higher roughness depths, electropolished surfaces may have better properties than mechanically polished surfaces with lower roughness depths.