what is mirror finishing?
Mirror finishing means that the processed surface can reflect the image like a mirror. The surface quality of the processed workpiece is excellent, which can reduce the notch effect and is the most effective means to increase the service life of mechanical parts.
No matter what metal processing method is used for processing, there will always be small uneven knife marks on the surface of the parts, with peaks and valleys interlaced. This is the surface roughness of the parts after processing. The surface after rough processing is visible to the naked eye, so mechanical finishing is required to obtain a mirror surface. Mirror processing generally has a surface roughness of <0.8um, which can still be observed with a magnifying glass or microscope.
materials
Metallic Substances
Aluminum and its alloys: Aluminum is widely used for mirror finishing because it is easy to process and has good thermal conductivity. After proper processing, aluminum alloys can achieve very high surface quality.
Copper and its alloys: Copper has good electrical and thermal conductivity and is often used for mirror finishing in electromagnetic fields.
Stainless steel: Stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties and is widely used for mirror finishing of medical equipment, food machinery, etc. For mirror processing of metal materials, our commonly used stainless steel materials include S136, NAK80, H13, 718, etc., which can produce relatively good mirror effects.
Titanium and its alloys. Titanium alloys are often used for mirror finishing in aerospace and medical applications due to their high strength, low density and good biocompatibility.
Tool steel and die steel: It has high hardness and wear resistance and is suitable for the manufacture of molds and tools that require high precision and high quality finish.
Non-metallic Substances
Silicon and other semiconductor materials: Mirror finishing of silicon wafers is a key step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, ensuring a smooth, defect-free wafer surface and achieving a very high degree of flatness.
Glass and Ceramics: Optical components such as optical lenses and microscope lenses are usually made in the form of mirrors from glass or ceramic materials for the best optical properties.
Plastics and Composites: Some high-performance plastics and composites can also be mirror-polished for applications requiring a precise finish, such as housings for optical components and precision instruments.
Cutting Tools
1.Tool material
Tools play the most important role in mirror processing. Common tool materials include:
Diamond tool: Diamond is the hardest material in nature, with extremely high wear resistance and sharpness, and is very suitable for ultra-precision cutting and mirror processing. Diamond tools are usually used to process non-ferrous metals, ceramics, glass and other materials.
Cubic boron nitride (CBN) tool: CBN tool is suitable for precision processing of high-hardness materials, such as hardened steel and super-hard alloys. Its hardness and wear resistance are second only to diamond.
Carbide tool: Carbide tool is suitable for precision processing of general metal materials, but its wear resistance and sharpness are not as good as diamond and CBN tools.
2.Tool specifications
Tool specifications have an important influence on the effect of mirror processing, including tool radius, cutting depth, number of cutting edges and other parameters.
Tool radius: We generally use small diameter tools, which can reduce cutting pressure and thus reduce the small unevenness on the workpiece surface. In addition, small diameter tools help improve processing flexibility and detail processing capabilities.
Depth of cut: The depth of cut is generally set at four times the tool diameter. This depth balances cutting forces and material removal rates, ensuring a smooth surface finish and long tool life.
Number of cutting edges: Each additional cutting edge in the machining process requires uniformity and consistency between the ground edges. This means that each cutting edge must be finely ground and polished to ensure its sharpness and uniformity, thereby achieving uniform material removal and a high-quality surface finish.
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As a prototype company with 15 years of experience, we provide customers with high-quality mirror processing services to meet various high-precision, high-quality processing needs.
If you have any questions about the materials and processing of mirror processing, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to provide you with professional advice and services.