Effective polishing of Aluminum with Menzerna Polishing Emulsions
Polishing aluminum workpieces is a crucial manufacturing step in the production of, for example, automotive trim parts. Polishing is carried out before anodizing. Along with the preceding forming and grinding of the parts, polishing is the manufacturing step that has the greatest influence on surface quality and thus on the perceived value of the parts. The aluminum alloys used for these applications vary in hardness and consequently in strength. Harder alloys require longer polishing times, which can make the entire manufacturing process more complex and expensive. The orange peel effect on the surface, sometimes caused by forming, must also be polished out, which places additional demands on the polishing process.
Three adjustments can be made to increase the polishing speed while maintaining or improving surface quality:
1. Increase contact pressure and cutting speed.
By increasing the contact pressure of the polishing wheels and/or the cutting speed, the cut on the workpiece can be increased up to a certain point. However, the shorter processing time that can be achieved in this way comes at a price: increased wear on the polishing wheels, higher workpiece temperatures, and more polishing residue. The resulting costs for polishing wheels, tool changes, and waste disposal, as well as the quality risks posed by overheated aluminum parts, can be substantial.
2. Optimization of polishing compounds.
The usage of optimally suited polishing compounds with otherwise unchanged polishing parameters can already lead to an increase in polishing performance. However, conventional polishing compounds often show performance weaknesses as soon as contact pressures and/or cutting speeds are increased.
3. The ideal solution: increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve quality.
Menzerna polishing emulsions EM 235 and EM 291 resolve the conflicting objectives described above. These Menzerna emulsions allow higher contact pressures and higher cutting speeds with lower consumption and equal or better surface quality. Some Menzerna customers have achieved cycle time reductions of approx. 12% and consumption reductions of 30-50% with EM 235 and EM 291. These two Menzerna polishing emulsions contain abrasive and fine polishing minerals. An innovative new binding agent has been used for these abrasive materials, which offers improved adhesion properties and higher heat capacity. As a result, the grain is retained on the polishing wheel for longer and the wheel is protected against overheating and excessive wear, which in turn enables higher contact pressures and cutting speeds.
Menzerna emulsions offer the ideal solution: shorter polishing times, less tool wear, reduced waste disposal costs, and flawless surfaces after anodizing.