Mirror Finishing with DLyte
A mirror finish is a highly-polished finish, characterized by a bright, shiny, reflective metal surface. It can be found in aesthetic parts, such as architecture, transportation, consumer goods, or metal pieces aimed at fashion and luxury industry, but also in metal pieces produced for food, pharma and medical applications. A high-quality mirror finish is not only visually appealing, but the gradual removal of surface scratches through polishing processes reduces indentations or grooves on metal, which may contain contaminants, such as dirt or bacteria. Those surfaces are easy to clean, more corrosion resistant and allows detection of design flaws.

Besides a significant aesthetical improvement, mirror-finished pieces are much less susceptible to contamination than rough surfaces. Smooth surfaces are achieved by working with different grits in mechanical applications to gradually remove scratches and blemishes from the metal. For example, in more technical terms, mirror-finished steels have an Ra index between 0.15 (6 microinches) and 0.3 (12 microinches)- Ra. That is: concerning roughness average, which measures the microscopic peaks and troughs on the surface of the metal, the lower the number, the fewer or smaller the peaks and troughs, which means that polished metal surface looks smoother and more brilliant.

Dry electropolishing processes achieve homogeneous results across the surface and eliminates micro-scratches and milling lines. The system works efficiently at micro and macroscopic level. They also enhance negative surface skewness (rsk), increasing the surface bearing contact area —therefore, allowing uniform lubricant film distribution—, improving the bearing ratio and reducing the friction between metal parts. In addition, dry electropolishing respects tolerances and preserves the initial shape of pieces, even the cutting edges, avoids generating grinding texture patterns. It offers best-in-class surface roughness (Ra under 0.01 micrometers) and protection against corrosion.
Economic and environmental benefits
Short processing time in a compact design
No devices to manage sewage and sludge
High profitability and short payback time
Environmentally friendly
Protects workers' health
Mirror Finishing Success Cases
Common applications
01.
Stents and other medical components
02.
Needles and surgical instruments
03.
Mixers, agitators and can seamers
04.
Compression mold tools
05.
Gears and drive units
06.
Cutting tools, drill bits, threaded formers and taps
07.
Carbide inserts
08.
Stamping, pressing and forming tools, punches
09.
Inner forming dies
10.
Rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings
11.
Belt buckles, bag inserts, eyewear and luxury pens
12.
Cutlery, musical instruments, taps and handles
13.
Figurines, ornaments and decorative home appliances
14.
PVC coated workpieces
15.
Mandrels/shank tool holder