Diamond Burnishing Tools

Function

• Designed to produce low-microinch burnished finishes on a variety of surfaces, including shafts, large bores and metal materials, diamond burnishing tools work well with most steel, iron and alloy surfaces. They are used by industrial machine shops to give the final finish to metallic products like car bodies, auto parts, washing machines and many other items. Diamond burning tools are used alongside other finishing tools and they are one of an array of tools employed when working with and finishing metal.

The Diamond

• Diamond burnishing actually contains a diamond insert that is contoured and polished and used directly on surfaces to achieve the superfine finish. As the burnishing tool is used, the diamond insert is eventually ground down until it is no longer effective. These diamond inserts can usually be replaced; most diamond burnishing tools come with several replacement inserts in the packaging.

Lubricant

• Some sort of lubricant is usually applied to the surface being polished when using a diamond burnishing tool to create a highly fine finish without the scratching caused by friction. These lubricants are also coolants, used to keep the heat caused by the friction at a minimum, so that the tool can operate at high speeds without causing damage. The lubricant coolants for these machines include straight oils, soluble oils and synthetic coolants.

Operating

• The diamond burnishing tool is loaded onto the tool post of the machine being used. This engages a spring within the tool that pushes out the diamond insert and forces it against the workpiece. The machine, lathe or other turning machine is then turned on and the tool is fed along the surface of the workpiece that needs to be polished.