High Precision Lapping on Bearing Spacers
High Precision Lapping Services
High Precision Lapping Services on Aluminum Ring
Precision Lapping & Fine Metal Grinding Services
Lapping (Loose Abrasive Polishing) is a specialized process that makes metal part surfaces as close to uniformly flat as possible. Lapping can also be used to polish metal surfaces to a fine finish; a mirror finish can be achieved with certain metals.
Since 1966 Petersen Precision has provided industry-leading lapping services for a wide range of industries. Our customized lapping equipment is also less expensive to operate, which translates to cost savings on your project.
Contact Us for more information regarding our high precision lapping and grinding services for metal components, or call us at 650-365-4373, and we will gladly assist with your specific lapping and metal grinding questions. Petersen Precision is your trusted source for high-precision metal grinding and lapping services. Check out some lapping products in our gallery!
Understanding the Lapping Process
Lapping is an advanced surface flattening process that achieves flatness tolerances of 0.0005 to 0.00002 inches. The pressure on the parts and the process duration can be finely tuned to accommodate the part material and the final finish required. Under perfect conditions, parts can be lapped to within 10 to 20 millionths of an inch of flatness. Although lapping is an abrasive process, it differs from fine grinding or honing because it uses a loose style abrasive instead of bonded abrasives like grinding wheels.
Precision Lapping & Metal Grinding Services for Harder Materials
The micro finishing lapping process allows more complex materials to be lapped to a more accurate tolerance than softer materials. Similarly, more rigid materials can be polished to a higher finish than softer ones; only very hard materials can be lap polished to a true mirror finish.
Lapping Process Considerations
High precision lapping is an averaging process where the most significant material removal occurs where the high points of the part's surface contact the flat lap plate. The object is to produce parts with a uniformly smooth and flat surface. A lapped surface displays a dull, non-reflective and multi-directional appearance. Factors to consider before quoting a lapping process include:
- Type of material that is processed
- Material hardness
- Surface finish after processing
- Amount of material to be removed (for holding thickness)
- Part thickness (if a part is too thin relative to its overall size, it may not be a good candidate)
During the lapping process, some amount of material is removed from the surface of the component, allowing the surface finish to become smoother. In contrast, the geometry of the processed surface becomes flat or round in contour.
High Precision Lapping Applications
Lapping is a finishing process that is accomplished by utilizing loose abrasives. The types of applications that generally benefit the most from lapping include:
- High Precision Thickness
- High Precision Flatness
- Enhanced Surface Finish
Fine Metal Grinding & Double-Sided Lapping Services
In addition to traditional single-sided lapping processes, we also offer fine grinding, also known as double-sided lapping. Operating on the same principle as standard lapping, fine grinding works on both sides at once, utilizing a bonded abrasive plate instead of a loose abrasive and moving the parts in an orbital motion between the parts abrasive plates inside carriers.
Fine Metal Grinding Advantages
Our fine grinding machinery allows for a much tighter thickness and parallelism control of processed parts. The double-sided nature of the fine grinding process makes it possible to achieve parallel flatness on both sides of a workpiece, even when the opposite faces are not the same geometry. Rather than lapping one side of the part then flipping it over to lap the other side, both sides are worked simultaneously to create high parallelism with even material removal.
Lapping & Fine Grinding vs Grinding
The most significant difference between lapping & fine grinding and other similar machining operations such as double disk grinding is that lapping and fine grinding don’t use a single or multiple point cutting tool like the leading edge of a wheel. Lapping and fine grinding cut chips through a flat face abrasive process that focuses on high spots on the face(s) while applying an orbital motion that averages out the cutting as much as possible.
Grinding processes like double disk grinding and Blanchard grinding push parts into the leading edge(s) of their cutting wheels, providing a finish that does not have the averaging effect that the orbital motion cutting can obtain.
Additional Service Capability Options
Petersen Precision provides several unique options for manufacturing precision parts and components. Multiple processes can create dimensionally perfect parts that match your design specifications. Our precision fabrication capabilities include:
Lapping & Fine Metal Grinding Industries Served
At Petersen Precision, we specialize in creating highly accurate two-dimensional and three-dimensional metal parts for the world’s most demanding industries. Our expert engineers and manufacturing professionals regularly work with innovative companies from the following industries:
Contact Petersen Precision for Lapping & Fine Grinding Fabrication Services Today
Petersen precision is your trusted source for premium lapping and fine grinding services for all industries and applications. Request a quote today, or contact us to discuss your specific project needs.
High Precision Lapping on Bearing Spacers
High Precision Lapping Services