Tumble Finishing

Smooth Rough Surfaces on the Smallest of Parts

Tumble FinishingAt RP Abrasives, we specialize in two types of tumble finishing services: high-energy and vibratory.

Tumble finishing is the process of polishing small rough parts en masse. The parts can be made from various materials, including stainless steel and plastics. Mass tumbling is accomplished using a variety of machines and can take minutes or several hours, depending on the part requirements.

RPA has many finishing machines, called vibratory tumblers, ranging in size from quite small to very large. Most of them are bowls, while a few of them are rectangular. Machines are used depending on the size of the parts: bigger parts work better in larger or rectangular machines, while smaller parts can go in essentially any of the machines. This finishing process is used across nearly all industries as a part of its finishing operations.

High-energy tumbling involves placing parts, media, water, and a surfactant in a barrel enclosed with a lid. The barrel is then rotated on a carousel holding four barrels. The carousel spins in one direction while the barrels spin opposite, creating a powerful centrifugal force that finishes the parts to the desired level.

We use four high-energy tumblers: one machine has an 80-liter capacity, and our other high-energy tumbling machines are 120-liter and 20-liter. We prefer Mass Finishing Inc. machines because we find them extremely durable and reliable, trusted as the best in the industry. Determining which machine gets used depends on the number of parts and the size of the parts.

Vibratory tumbling uses friction to smooth objects. The vibrating media against the parts create the desired finish. Most of our vibratory bowls are made by Sweco, a very well-known manufacturer of this type of equipment.

Request a Tumble Finishing Quote from RP Abrasives

For a zero-cost, no-obligation tumble finishing consultation, fill out the form below to request a quote! If you have questions about our finishing services, please call us at (603) 335-2132 or contact us online! We’re based in New Hampshire (NH), but we offer services throughout Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), Vermont (VT), Connecticut (CT), Rhode Island (RI), New York (NY), and nationally.