8. Vapor Polishing vs. Manual Polishing: How to Make a Right Choice?
When choosing between these two treatments for your surface finishing needs, weighing each method’s pros and cons is essential. Here, we highlight the main aspects of vapor polishing vs. manual polishing to help you make an informed decision.
Manual Polishing Pros:
Ease of Accessibility: The equipment needed for manual polishing is readily available, making it a convenient option.
Health Impact: The process does not negatively impact health; the only concern is the dust produced during polishing. This can be mitigated with proper safety measures, such as using a nose mask and other safety gear.
Manual Polishing Cons:
Labor and Time-Intensive: Manual polishing can be laborious, and achieving a glossy finish or excellent optical clarity can take significant time.
Uniformity: It is challenging to achieve a uniform finish on parts with complex geometry using manual polishing techniques.
Vapor Polishing Pros:
Efficiency: It is an efficient and quick surface finishing method.
Consistent Finish: Parts produced via vapor polishing have a consistently shiny finish and excellent optical clarity.
Minimal Material Removal: The process has minimal material removal, which helps save costs on the material used.
Application: It suits medical devices, equipment, and intricate features like channels, undercuts, apertures, and threads.
Vapor Polishing Cons:
Material Limitations: It is not ideal for use on every plastic material.
Cost of Set-Up: The process often requires expensive materials and equipment to run optimally.
Pre-Processing Requirements: Some materials that can undergo vapor polishing may still require annealing before polishing, which increases the overall production cost.
Manual polishing is necessary for CNC-machined PMMA and PC parts before the vapor polish treatment.
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each method, your choice should be based on your project requirements, such as material type, desired surface finish, component complexity, and budget constraints.