Inovatec MachineryThe best in class shaft polishing in China.

Shaft Polishing – The Definitive Guide

Shafts are primary devices that you cannot live without. Almost every machine uses at least one shaft to transmit power.

These shafts must undergo polishing before installation. There are a few machines that do not require shafts.

Now, to work effectively, shafts must be polished to the highest degree, to avoid rapid wear or even surface breakages.

In this article, you’ll learn how to:

• How to polish shafts effectively
• The benefits of polishing shafts
• The advantages of using mass finishing machines to polish shafts

Keep reading this article to find out more.

1. Which machine is ideal for polishing shafts?

Now, four primary mass polishing machines are ideal for polishing shafts.

Check this out:

The first machine is the circular vibratory finishing machine, which is generally an exceptional machine for mass polishing.

Figure 1 – Circular Vibratory Tumbler

It has a polishing bowl where you put your target shafts, polishing media, and polishing compounds.

It completes the polishing process rapidly because of its robust motor.

This machine polishes by vigorously shaking its tub to generate friction necessary for the success of the process.

The second mass finishing machine is the centrifugal barrel finishing machine.

This machine works by using centrifugal forces to its advantage.

Keep reading this article to find out more about the centrifugal barrel finisher.

The third mass finishing machine for shaft polishing is the rotary barrel tumbler.

This machine polishes interestingly. Keep reading this article, yet again, to find out more about it.

The fourth and last recommended machine for shaft polishing is the tub (linear) vibratory finishing machine.

Figure 2 – Linear Vibratory Tumbler

It has the same working principles as the circular vibratory finishing machine, only that its shape is different.

The tub vibratory finishing machine is ideal for exceptionally long shafts that cannot fit in the other machines.

This machine’s structure is also sturdy – a design aiming to facilitate heavier loads of shafts.

Bottom line:

Mass finishing machines are the ideal way of polishing your shafts efficiently and effectively.

2. What polishing media can I use for polishing?

Now, there are two kinds of polishing media that you can use for shaft polishing.

The first type is the porcelain polishing media.

Figure 3 – Porcelain Polishing Media

It is a robust polishing media, with particles of ceramic media present in it.

It is, however, not highly aggressive – making it ideal for the shaft polishing process.

With porcelain polishing media, you can achieve that sleek and shiny look that you desire.

The second polishing media that you can use is plastic (synthetic) polishing media.

Figure 4 – Plastic Polishing Media

Plastic abrasives are popularly used nowadays. They are popular because of two primary reasons:

The first reason is that they are lighter than porcelain polishing media.

Its lightweight characteristic is beneficial because your machine uses lesser energy to polish your shafts.

The second reason is that they neither crack nor chip under pressure.

The only downside of using synthetic abrasives is that they cannot give your shafts the shiny look that you desire.

Both plastic and porcelain polishing media come in different shapes and sizes.

These dynamics are necessary for effective polishing of every inch of your shafts – including the most intricate corners.

You should always ensure that you’ve selected the correct polishing media size.

When you select an overly large polishing media, it ends up lodging in your shafts’ cavities.

Also, when you use an overly small polishing media, it will pass through your cavities without cleaning them well.

It is thus imperative to select the correct size and shape of your abrasives.

3. How can I remove rust from my racing steel shafts?

Now, getting rid of rust on the surfaces of shafts is not the most straightforward activity.

Figure 5 – Rusty Shaft

If your shaft is heavily corroded with rust, you will have to spend more time and energy cleaning it.

A vibratory polish should do it.

You can use either a circular vibratory tumbler or even a tub vibratory tumbler, depending on the size of your shaft.

For heavily corroded shafts, porcelain media will be highly effective.

You can also use polishing compounds to enhance the polishing process.

Also, if you do not have a strict budget, you can opt for a centrifugal barrel finisher.

It polishes way faster than the vibratory tumbler.

4. How does the centrifugal barrel finisher polish shafts?

A centrifugal barrel finisher uses centrifugal forces to its advantage.

Figure 6 – Centrifugal Barrel Finisher

It has four barrels affixed to one flywheel. Both the barrels and the flywheel rotate to increase centrifugal forces.

The unique thing, however, is how they rotate.

The flywheel and the barrels rotate in opposite directions respectively.

You can control the machine by using its control console which is relatively easy to use.

You can set the optimum rotating speed for polishing shafts as well as the recommended polishing duration.

5. What is the process of polishing shafts using a rotary tumbler?

Now, the rotary barrel tumbler is the oldest form of mass polishing known to man.

When using this machine, you put your target shafts, polishing media, and polishing compounds inside the rotating barrel.

Now, the barrel has an interesting and unique shape. It is either hexagonal or octagonal.

Figure 7 – Rotary Barrel Tumbler

This shape aims at enhancing the polishing process.

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If the barrel is circular, the polishing process would not be as effective and as efficient as it is with this unique shape design.

This barrel rotates at a predetermined speed.

It spins too quickly; centrifugal forces will take over and no polishing activity will take place.

Your shafts, polishing media, and polishing compounds will just cling to the walls of the barrel.

Contrary to that, when the barrel spins too slowly, there will be no polishing action yet again.

The process will be uneconomical because it will take a significant amount of time to complete.

Also, the process will be inefficient because there isn’t much rubbing action between the shafts and polishing media surfaces.

6. How long does it take to polish shafts?

When polishing shafts, the duration of the process depends on three primary factors.

The first primary factor is the level of corrosion present on the surface of the shafts.

Heavily corroded shafts will automatically take more time and energy to polish.

The second primary factor is the polishing machine and polishing media you choose to use.

Choosing a vibratory finish over a rotary finish will automatically reduce the time spent during the polishing process.

Similarly, opting for a centrifugal finish over a vibratory finish automatically reduces the time spent during the polishing process.

The third primary factor is the way you decide to handle your machine during the polishing process.

If you choose to hasten the process by setting a high polishing speed, you will not have an impressive finish.

The same thing goes if you set the speed too slow.

Bottom line:

Your decisions significantly influence the effectiveness and efficiency of the polishing process.

It also has a great impact on the length of the process.

7. What are the benefits of polishing shafts?

There are three primary benefits of polishing your shafts:

The first benefit is that polishing makes your shafts stronger by getting rid of corrosive agents such as rust.

These corrosive agents weaken your shafts, therefore reducing their lifespan.

The second benefit is that polishing shafts’ surfaces makes them more appealing to the eye.

It also makes it easier to install into machines.

The third benefit is that it makes power transmission more effective and efficient.

When you polish your shaft, you get rid of small burrs that make your gears wear out quickly.

They also cause miscalculation of dimensions, which could lead to serious injuries from accidents.

Bottom line:

Polishing shafts is imperative before installation.

8. What are the advantages of using mass finishing machines to polish shafts?

Polishing your shafts using mass finishing machines have undoubted advantages.

The first advantage is that you get a sleek uniform polish.

Mass finishing machines polish uniformly, without altering your shafts’ dimensions.

They polish even the most intricate corners and pockets.

The second benefit is that you get to polish many shafts at the same time.

Mass polishing saves a lot of time and energy.

The third benefit is that using these machines is not hard. They also do not require any supervision.

You can issue commands using the machines’ control consoles to set the working duration and speed.

The last advantage of using mass finishing machines is that you do not have to separate parts manually.

These machines have techniques that aid you to separate your polishing media and parts.

For example, the vibratory finishing machine has a separating sieve that can be adjusted to fit different sizes of polishing media.

Bottom line:

Using mass finishing machines is way advantageous than using any other polishing method.