Ceramic Polishing Machine

Ceramic Polishing Machine

Inovatec manufactures a series of ceramic polishing machines suitable for the smallest and more significant ceramic ware polishing, smoothing, and cleaning.

Ceramic wares include tableware, bone china, ornament ware, industrial ceramics, and porcelains.

They are tumbled in a ceramic part tumbling machine.

You can use the same tumbler for deburring metal parts also.

They are basically industrial vibratory tumbler machines that make use of the vibratory tumbler media for polishing ceramic parts.

After tumbling in the vibratory polishing machine, the ceramic ware surface is smooth and polished.

The vibratory deburring machine from Inovatec does a good job of tumble polishing ceramic parts.

Therefore, these parts are ready for glazing and decoration.

What is the process of Ceramic Polishing Machine Polishing Aluminum Wheel?

When we receive the old wheel, we need to soak the old wheel in a chemical to stripe the paint. This process takes about 10-15 minutes.

Then we clean the wheel surface with tap water, we may see some deep scratches or marks.

These deep marks we need to remove with a grinding wheel or a cloth wheel.

When the wheel is sanded down it is ready to polish.

First, we put it in the ceramic deburring media. The process takes about 1 hour.

Second, we put it in the plastic tumbling media, This process takes another 1 hour.

Thirdly, we put the wheel in the zirconia ball. The process takes 20 minutes.

After all 3 steps, you will see a mirror-polished wheel.

For better protection of the wheel, you can powder coat a transparent surface on the wheel with a powder coating gun.

If you do color powder coating, you can stop by the ceramic deburring media process. As the wheel is smooth, you can powder coat the wheel.

Ceramic production industries well receive Inovatec ceramic polishing machines.

Below are the reasons:

• High efficiency 3-dimensional rotational movement
• Variable speed frequency converter to adjust vibration amplitude and speed
• Wear-resistant rubber to prevent abrasion and protect ceramics
• Process available in both dry and wet processes
• Can process with the wood peg, ceramic tumbling media, and plastic media (synthetic tumbling media)
• Ceramicware processing continuously or in a batch process
• Ceramicware collect by hand to prevent cracking
• Capable of handling all types of ceramic product in high volume

Inovatec has more than 20 years’ technical knowledge in surface finishing machine manufacturing.

We continuously develop a new process to improve parts productivity.

If you have any product that you wanted to surface finish, you can take advantage of our lab and do free trials.

Just leave us a message and we will contact you within 24 hours!

Ceramic Polishing Machine FAQ Guide

1. What is a Ceramic Polishing Machine?

Like all other mass finishing machine types, ceramic polishing machines are industrial tools used to achieve a high level of surface enhancement and fine-tuning.

These vibratory finishing machines are suitable for processing various workpieces of varying sizes, forms or shapes, and materials.

The typical processing done in a vibratory finisher includes deburring, chamfering, de-rusting, oxide film removal, precious grinding, and surface polishing, etc.

2. What are the processes involved in making a Ceramic Polishing Machine work?

Ceramic polishing machines can be specifically described as efficient mass finishing machines with time-intensive processing.

This is because they require a high level of time, spent over several stages, to achieve the needed quality results.

During this stage process, workpieces are taken through varying grades of ceramic polishing media in an attempt to arrive at the required result.

When the parts are put into the vibratory tumbler machine, the workpieces are first subjected to the cleaning stage where they are made ready for further processing.

At this stage, they are made to pass through processes aimed at stripping off paints and other impurities from the workpieces.

This is in a bid to level out the underlying metal roughness.

The second stage is where further processing is done by the industrial tumbler to achieve the needed smoothness, by opening up the pores of the workpieces.

All the relevant burnishing, polishing, and overall surface enhancements take place here with the help of the deburring tumbler media.

At the final stage, steps are taken to strengthen the enhancements made.

This includes applying powder coat lacquer to prevent easy wear and tear, and extend the period within which the enhancements would remain there.

3. What are the components involved in the efficiency of Ceramic Polishing machines?

There are several important components involved in the efficient working of ceramic part tumbling machines.

They include:

The Machine

This refers to the internal and external interconnected hardware or machine parts that make up the machine itself.

Some of the most prominent parts are:

The work tub/bowl:

This is the enclosed space within which workpieces are worked on.

It is the place where the polishing of workpieces essentially takes place.

You would usually see them lined with high quality, wear-resistant elastomer polyurethane.

Motor:

This is the machine part that supplies the power that’s needed to drive the finishing process.

Suspension:

Long-lasting steel springs are usually used in most ceramic finishing machines.

These help to safely suspend the work chamber while in motion.

Vibration Adjustment:

The vibration level can be observed from the vibration gauge on the bowl.

When the amplitude is inadequate or overboard, it can be adjusted and controlled with Vibro speed tuning.

Noise suppressors:

Noise is often a big issue for big machines like this.

But with these flexible, tarp-like devices, the noise level is reduced significantly.

Timers:

These are useful in keeping a tab on time spent at each stage

Water/Compound control system:

Ideally, all finishing machines have control systems that regulate the flow of water and compound for cooling and cleaning effects.

Electrical controls:

Like every other industrial machinery, finishing machines have electrical control systems.

The control board includes push-button controls and display units for all machine functionalities.

Water

Water helps normalize any mass finishing machine’s cooling system.

It also comes in handy for washing away scraped materials from the workpieces.

Media

These are the solid materials that put the much-needed touches on parts.

They do this by consistently rubbing on the workpieces, through part-on-part friction.

The Compound

These are those dry or wet substances that help to protect the machine itself from corrosion and rust.

They are added to the machine to assist in the overall polishing process.

4. Why do you need to polish or mass finish workpieces?

Workpiece finishing as well as polishing aids in making workpieces turn out in high quality.

It makes them smooth and shiny by removing damages created by previous manufacturing processes.

Some of this machine’s functionalities include:

Cleaning:

Ceramic Polishing Machines help to purify workpieces from stains.

Such stain or dirt may include dust, greases, or other residues stuck on the workpieces.

These may have been gotten from previous processing or human transportation.

Deburring:

This is the process of removing sharp edges or burrs from the parts.

Take for example the usage of the machine to smoothen sharp corners and bends and make them into rounded ones.

The process of tumble deburring inside the deburring tumbler.

Descaling: 

Through this process, the machine helps to evenly spread out the finishes on the workpieces.

That could include the removal of machine lines that were sustained during the shape-cutting of the workpieces.

Polishing:

This process helps to take a workpiece to a higher level of smoothness by making it shiny and of premium quality.

5. What type of workpieces are Ceramic Polishing Machines best used for?

Ceramic polishing machines are effective for the polishing and finishing of workpieces that are of a varying kind, be it metal or nonmetal.

The list includes stainless steel, copper, aluminum alloy, hardware components, optical crystal, and sapphire glass.

Not to mention LED sapphire substrate, piezoelectric ceramics, alumina ceramics, plastic sheets, silicon chips, and several other types of workpieces.

You can use this vibratory bowl finishing machine as a ceramic wheel polishing machine, alloy wheel polishing machine, ceramic ball polishing machine, etc.

6. Are ceramic polishing machines industry-specific or of generic usage?

Yes, ceramic polishing machines are perfect for use in any industry whatsoever.

Below are some of the application areas in which these vibration cleaner machines are popularly deployed in different industries:

• Aerospace: Pumps and Valves, Turbine Parts, Engine Assemblies, Spacers
• Electro-Optics: Plano Optics, Laser Rods and Prisms, Fibre Optics, Sensors, Sapphire, ALN
• Technical Ceramics: Alumina – Zirconia, Silicon Carbide, Piezo Ceramics, Ferrite
• Automotive: Diesel Injectors, Airbag Initiators, Piston Rings, Fuel Pumps
• Data Storage: Disc Drive Heads, CD Moulds, Laminations, Smart Phones
• Pumps & Valves: Fuel Pumps, Hydraulic Pumps, Mechanical Seals, Gate Valves
• Tool and Die: Moulds and Inserts, Printing Plates, Slitter Knives, Extrusion Die
• Medical Devices: Fibre Scopes, Surgical Instruments, Hip and Knee Joints, Pacemaker Parts

7. What is the role of media in ceramic polishing?

There is no way the parts tumbler media can be separated from the successful running of a ceramic polishing machine.

The reason is that all of the processes in mass finishing including cleaning, burnishing, polishing, etc, are all carried out by the different media that are inserted from time to time.

Ceramic polishing machines usually make use of ceramic media to achieve the needed workpiece finishing.

They play a critical role in the parts tumbler deburring process.

This media can be identified by its bonding agent, which is ceramic.

Even in other types of mass finishing machines, the usage of ceramic media is very popular because of its long-lasting and clean running characteristics.

The different grades of cut within the ceramic media grouping include:

• Polish
• Super Fast Cut
• Medium Cut
• High-Density Fast Cut
• Fast Cut
• Light Weight (low density)

8. What are the factors that affect media performance in ceramic polishing machines?

Abrasive percentage and size: Ceramic polishing media usually contain no abrasive element at all, whereas faster cutting media have coarser grits and more abrasives.

Bonding agent’s strength: Faster cutting media are bonded softer, facilitating the easy wear of the bond. This exposes new abrasives and therefore increases cut rates. Polishing media are however bonded softer.

The Ceramic itself – The type of clay used in making ceramic media will in some way determine its weight. This, in turn, affects the performance of such media. Heavier and larger media are known to cut faster than lighter ones.

The shape: The manufacturing process or workpiece form determines the shape of ceramic media to be used.

Overall, ceramic media are good performers when it comes to mass finishing. Prior testing is however advised to prevent damages.

9. Are there side effects to the usage of a ceramic polishing machine?

In spite of the advantages that come with using ceramic polishing machines, they sometimes also come with side effects which you should be prepared for before employing the processes.

Depending on the situation, many of these side effects may prove to be beneficial for some workpieces and harmful for others.

In addition to enhancing workpiece surfaces, your ceramic polishing machine can also:

• blunt workpiece edges
• Vary part dimensions
• compact workpiece’s surface “pores”
• remove heavy scale and oxides from workpieces
• change a part’s flatness
• hinder electroplating adhesion
• prevent magnetic reactions
• cause blowholes in welded joints
• create large compressive stresses on a part
• cause dings, scratches, and dents to a part
• worsens corrosion rates
• change parts’ luster
• change parts’ color
• change friction
• decontaminate radioactive surfaces

Essentially, the key to escaping these unwanted effects is to first determine what your polishing needs are in a workpiece, as well as making the right use of appropriate media.

10. How can an operator prevent frequent media lodging in parts?

Media lodgings – if not handled with care – can often result in extensive damage to workpieces.

To rule out this possibility, it is recommended that you do the following in subsequent workpiece polishing:

• select a different media size
• choose a different media shape
• select a different media material
• make use of part-on-part tumbling instead of using media

11. How can I get the most out of a Ceramic Polishing Machine?

Like humans, machines need maintenance to guarantee their longevity.

To get the most out of a Ceramic Polishing Machine, here are some valuable tips that need to be adhered to. They include:

Checking Manufacturer’s Recommendations:

Machines sometimes require different maintenance processes.

You should inquire about the required maintenance level before buying your polishing machine.

And if you just newly bought one, check through the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations

Ensuring the machine is in good condition before usage:

It’s important to habitually check for internal and exterior damages, before putting the polishing machine into use.

Doing this helps safeguard the workplace from preventable accidents, including spillings, outbursts, and so on.