Forging and casting are metal manufacturing processes which create millions of metal objects we use daily. But when objects are fresh from the forge or mould, they tend to have a rough surface finish and a dull appearance.
Forgings and castings can be manually finished but this can be a time consuming process and often difficult to deliver consistent results. A more efficient solution is mass finishing, which offers consistent results for high-spec metal components, including medical, aerospace and automotive castings and forgings, to achieve a smooth surface and a polished finish.
At ActOn Finishing, the engineering team recommends using Centrifugal High Energy finishing machines to remove surface defects and flash lines, achieve a smooth finish and mirror polish components.
Why high energy finishing?
High energy finishing delivers superior results in a short space of time whilst also optimising the process of different finishing specifications. In comparison to vibratory finishing, high energy finishing can be ten times faster.
In many cases, the results achieved via high energy finishing cannot be achieved in a standard vibratory process, in particular the removal of heavy manufacturing defects.
Benefits you enjoy when you mass finish forgings and castings with ActOn CHE technology:
1. Significant reduction in roughness
2. Shorter processing time than traditional methods
3. Increased part cleanliness
4. Removal of surface defects and flash lines
5. Corrosion protection
6. Non-part specific
7. No major tooling required
8. No requirement of fixturing
9. Consistent and repeatable results
How we achieved a mirror surface finish on forged femur implants
At ActOn Finishing, we regularly use high energy finishing on forgings and castings to achieve the required result. Recently we achieved a mirror surface finish, free of defects, on forged femur implants for a medical manufacturer.
We followed a three-stage process, using the ActOn Centrifugal High Energy machine. The implants were first processed using a highly abrasive ceramic media and Actopol compound – a fine, long lasting, clean cutting abrasive designed for deburring and achieving a surface finish improvement. Actopol prevents corrosion on ferrous parts and produces a clean smooth finish on all metal parts.
In the second stage, ActOn achieved a smooth surface finish with the help of our medium abrasive plastic media and a liquid compound, with good cleaning and polishing properties.
In the third stage, the implants were given a mirror polish by processing the part in pre-treated ‘Maizorb’ media. The pretreated maize imparts high lustre on components when used in the Centrifugal High Energy finishing machine.
The process delivered a superior surface finish in a considerably reduced time with a complete end-to-end solution and the dimensional integrity of the part maintained.
The medical manufacturer was delighted with the perfect finish to the implants, and ActOn’s engineers were able to give their client support through their novel process.
Perfect your forgings and castings with ActOn Finishing
At ActOn Finishing, we understand the high standards expected of components across the aerospace, automotive, medical and mint industries and we have worked closely with major manufacturers in different industries to adapt and develop finishing solutions that meet their stringent requirements. It has been proven that the solutions we’ve developed have benefited the industry by reducing processing times and producing a repeatable and quality product.
If you want to learn how to remove defects and achieve the surface finish you require for your forgings and castings, you can download our brochure or contact ActOn Finishing Technical Representatives. Our team of experts are on hand to answer any questions you may have.