tomated or mechanized methods have not been considered or adequately investigated. An often-observed dichotomy in precision manufacturing
operations is that many manufacturers, after spending vast sums on CNC machining equipment to produce parts to very precise tolerances and specifications consistently, in the end hand off these expensive parts to a deburring and finishing department that uses hand methods, with all the inconsistency, non-uniformity, rework and worker-injury potential that implies. Even when manual methods can’t be completely elimi- nated, mass-media finish techniques can and should be used to produce an edge and surface finish uniformity that simply cannot be duplicated with manual or single-point-of-contact methods. Developing an overall edge and surface finish continuity and equilibrium can have a significant effect on performance and service life of critical components. In recent years, mass-media finishing processes have gained widespread acceptance in many industries, primar-
ily as a technology for reducing the costs of producing edge and surface finishes. The economics are especially striking when manual deburring and finishing procedures are mini- mized or eliminated.
The first casualty of overreliance on a manual deburring and finishing approach is the investment the manufacturer has made, often in the millions, for precise and computer- controlled manufacturing equipment. The idea behind this in- vestment was to have the ability to produce parts that are uni- formly and carefully manufactured to exacting specifications and tolerances. At this point, in too many cases, the parts are then sent to manual deburring and finishing procedures that will all but guarantee that no two parts will ever be alike. Moreover, the increased complexity and precise require-
ments of mechanical products have reinforced the need for accurately producing and controlling the surface finish of man- ufactured parts. Variations in the surface texture can influence a variety of performance characteristics. The surface finish can
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