Why Electropolishing?

Metals go through a lot of abuse during the manufacturing process from simply the rough forging to the heat from welding parts together. Imperfections and stress heat on metals can cause them to lose a lot of the corrosion resistance that alloys typical posses. Certain items can also benefit from electropolishing as chemical based fluids reach certain areas with ease where manual polishing tools struggle.

Pricing

Pricing on electropolishing can depend on several things from the size of an object to the complexity of the service area. Getting in contact with us to discuss a quote is unfortunately the only way to give proper estimates. Bulk electropolishing can also impact price as less setup is needed for electropolishing the same types of items with the same desired time and chemicals.

The Process

The stainless steel part is immersed into a temperature controlled, concentrated acid solution bath in which an electrical current passes over creating the desired affect. Electrochemical process reduces the surface roughness by leveling the micro-peaks and valleys. This improving the surface of the product making it smoother, by polishing, deburring and the removal of contaminants to reveal a flawless finish. This process helps with polishing irregularly-shaped, large volume and/or sized objects

On the right is an example of both mechanical polishing and electropolishing under a microscope. Here you can see that electropolishing allows for a much smoother surface than you may see with the naked eye. Small imperfections like this can lead to areas with spot corrosion or make certain items difficult to completely disinfect, causing the need to clean certain items more frequent.

The Benefits

• No fine line abrasions from hand/machine polishing
• A smoother surface – less surface tension
• A Clean or Shiny flawless appearance
• Maximum corrosion protection
• Superb light reflection
• Ease of cleaning

Types of Applications

• Medical & Dental Industry – e.g. Sterilized and Non-sterilized items
• Food Industry – e.g. Wire racks, grates, troughs
• Marine applications – e.g. Hand rails, seat slides, bait boards & tubs, anchor points, mounts
• Vehicle parts – e.g. Pipes, exhaust, grills, headlight surrounds, restoration parts made with stainless steel
• Consumables – e.g. Fasteners, springs, clips, light fittings, Letters & Numbers
• Structural – e.g. Balustrade, handles, fittings, brackets, Hinges, Ornaments

Electropolishing

Mechanical Polishing