Lapping & Polishing Steel - Case Study

Test Requirements:To recommend the shortest process needed to lap and polish a steel sample.
Component/Material: 1 x steel sample.

Process for polishing Steel components

The Kemet Iron lapping stage is a fast method to produce a flat and evenly graded surface; and by following this with an ASFL-AW silk polishing stage, no other lapping plate is needed. The cloths are simply fixed using a self adhesive backing to the Kemet Iron plate once parts are ready for polishing.
Results: After polishing our sample showed an Ra 0.003

Process Breakdown
Stage	Plate/cloth type	Abrasive type/grade	Process time
1 Lap	Kemet Iron	Type K Standard Diamond slurry	15 minutes
2 Polish	ASFL-AW silk polishing pad	Type K Standard Diamond slurry	10 minutes

Before Lapping Steel

After Lapping Steel

After Polishing Steel

Test Requirements: To produce a mirror polish on Steel components.
Component/Material: 6 off 80mm x 115mm Steel Plates.

Process for producing mirror finish to Steel

We used a combination of conventional lapping for stage 1, followed by diamond polishing for stage 2. Both processes could be performed on a single Kemet 24 Diamond Lapping machine.

Process Breakdown
Stage	Plate/cloth type	Abrasive type/grade	Process time
1 Lap	Cast Iron	Kemox O-800S	15 minutes
2 Polish	ASFL polishing pad	Type K Standard Diamond slurry	12 minutes

Steel plate before lapping

Steel plate after lapping

Steel plate after Polishing

Test Requirements: To remove 0.25mm from steel rail part and then mirror polish
Component/Material: 6 off 80mm x 115mm Steel Plates.

Comments: It took 90 mins to remove 0.25mm material

Process Breakdown
Stage	Plate/cloth type	Abrasive type/grade	Process time
1 Lap	Kemet Iron	Type K Standard Diamond slurry	90 minutes
2 Polish	ASFL polishing pad	Type K Standard Diamond slurry	20 minutes