_ Finishing processes
Precision finishing
More and more demanding quality standards on the market are dramatically increasing the importance of precision surface finishing processes. These treatments improve the aesthetic appearance of metal parts, but also their mechanical and physical characteristics, corrosion resistance and lifespan, among others.

Smoothing
Processes related to smoothing metal surface allow to achieve uniformity of product for appearance’s sake, and to be safe for touching without being scratched to shreds by unfinished roughness. For moving parts, a smooth finish cuts down on friction loss, without getting into coatings.

Mirror finishing
A mirror finish is a highly-polished finish, characterized by a bright, shiny, reflective metal surface. A high-quality mirror finish is not only visually appealing, but the gradual removal of surface scratches reduces indentations or grooves on metal, which may contain contaminants, such as dirt or bacteria.

Deburring
Deburring is a material modification process that increases the final quality of the product by removing impurities with a negative impact the on the appearance of a smooth machined surface, like sharp edges or burrs, left by bending, cutting, piercing, shearing and compressing materials.

Rounding
Rounding cutting edges is crucial for the design and geometry of cutting tools in metal machining. Cutting edge geometry determines the thermo-mechanical stresses on the tool. By employing edge preparation, tool life, cutting performance, and the quality of the machined surface can be improved.

Corrosion resistance

AM Post-processing
Surface roughness of AM parts can vary depending on the technology used and parameters applied, and affects fatigue, corrosion resistance and friction properties. In order to improve the surface quality, electropolishing is postulated as the most promising the treatment to reduce roughness and defects.

Inner channels
Surface quality requirements of internal surfaces, inner channels and complex parts with blind holes have increased during the last years specially in case of injection molding, aerospace, automotive, medical, food and pharma, semiconductors and gas and fluid flow applications.

_ Industries
Aerospace
Surface finishing operations play an extremely important role in aerospace and energy sectors, since it helps to improve efficiency, while increasing reliability and durability. These parts must withstand high stress corrosive conditions, high loads with long-term lifespan and meeting demanding cycle life specifications.

Automotive
Surface finishing solutions are utilized at every level of the automotive pipeline, from garage maintenance and car restoration to manufacturers’ demands. One of the most challenging aspects has to do with safety, since the result of the surface finishing process is closely linked to the vehicle performance and reliability.

Dentistry
Dental laboratories use dry electropolishing to improve surface quality of cobalt-chrome and titanium dental parts. Smoothing, cleaning and eliminating small imperfections from removal dental prosthetics and other implanted dental parts expands their lifespan pieces and can extend the life of dental components from the inside out.

Food & Pharma
Metal components produced for food, beverages, packaging and pharma industries must comply with challenging surface finishing standards. Those surfaces should be ultra-smooth, precision finishing, thus avoiding areas for bacteria grow. DLyte achieves superior results than any other surface finishing method.

Jewelry & Fashion
These industries require a perfect surface quality as the purpose of the piece is mainly aesthetic and its value depends on a good looking. Complex geometries in jewels are hard to polish with traditional polishing methods and electropolishing is one of the techniques utilized for a better homogeneity and standardization.

Medical device
Cleanability, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, pathogen resistance and a smooth surface without defects are crucial to comply with the function and demand on quality of the medical industries. Improving the surface’s quality on implants, instruments and equipment components increases functionalities as well as their lifespan.

Toolmaking
Overcoming the drawbacks of tool finishing is one of the main challenges in the field of surface finishing solutions, in order to achieve the lowest roughness on flat surfaces. This is why DLyte has specially created new electropolishing technologies to carry out the most challenging freeform surfaces polishing.

Cutting tools
DryLyte offers an innovative solution for precision surface finishing on cutting tools, delivering consistent, repeatable results with mirror-like finishes. Its unique dry electropolishing technology preserves tool geometry while enhancing surface quality. By reducing friction and wear, DryLyte extends the lifespan of polished parts—making it ideal for high-performance industrial applications.

_ Technology
Immersion
DryLyte is a patented technology for grinding and polishing metals by ion transport using free solid bodies. It works by combining the electrical flow created by high-precision rectifier. This results in an ion exchange, removing material from the peaks of roughness.
Projection
Our new Electro-Blasting technology, released in 2021, is a new solution that provides a stream of solid-electrolyte particles propelled by a non-conductive liquid media to improve the surface quality. The media is projected towards a localized area of the piece.
_ Industrial solutions
_ Dental solutions
Desktop series
Accessible to small laboratories, workshops, workrooms and SMEs needing a cost-effective solution for metal surface finishing processes. From grinding to mirror finishing, this new set-up offers a new easy way to process any casting, sintering or milling metal parts.

Compact series
An efficient range of solutions to meet the requirements of dental, medical and industrial sectors, depending on finishing needs, production quantities or part dimensions. Ensures high scalability and performance. A solution for the most common metals and alloys.

PRO500 series
The most advanced, powerful and versatile surface-finishing machine for mass production on the market. It performs high-quality metal surface-finishing better, faster and more efficiently with processing times ten times better than current technologies.

DLyte TurboFlow
Advanced finishing system with DryLyte technology for large, heavy parts. It optimizes time and costs while ensuring a safe, clean operation. Ideal for aerospace, medical, food, pharma, and automotive industries.

DLyte 100AC
This equipment automates metal part finishing without human intervention, integrating into high-volume production lines. It handles loading, treatment, and post-cleaning with consistent precision and quality.

DLyte eBlast
Projected dry electropolishing for focused surface finishing in complex geometries and heavy or large parts. It provides a stream of solid-electrolyte particles propelled by a non-conductive liquid media to achieve the best surface quality results of metal parts.

DLyte 10,000
The most powerful modular unit for polishing large, heavy and complex pieces to be totally integrated in any production line. The robot module allows to treat metals and alloys in a fast, and cost-efficient way. It counts with a precise 6-axis mechanical movement.

Dental series
An efficient range of solutions to meet the requirements of dental sectors, depending on finishing needs, production quantities or part dimensions. Ensures high scalability and performance. A solution for the most common metals and alloys.

DLyte Mini
It is perfect for low production volumes or as a complementary device to existing DLyte equipment. It can be used as a secondary, quick-step process to achieve a superior shine.

Comms
About us
GPAINNOVA, a leading global innovator in surface finishing solutions, and Cetim, the French technical center for mechanical industries, labelled Carnot Institute, are collaborating together on a pioneering research and development project aimed at substantially improving metal surface treatments: the patented DryLyte Hybrid Finish process©. This agreement focuses on the development of an advanced surface finishing system that integrates the electrochemical processes of the DryLyte Technology of GPAINNOVA with the use of abrasives, marking a significant leap in the finishing of highly rough surfaces such as those produced by machining and 3D printing.
This partnership combines GPAINNOVA’s DryLyte dry electropolishing technology with Cetim’s expertise and its patented electrochemical-mechanical surface finishing system. This type of system has been developped by Cetim since 2016 in the framework of its common laboratory “Luppiam” with École Centrale de Lyon and Institut Mines Telecom engineering school. The resultant DryLyte Hybrid Finish process is designed to significantly accelerate finishing speed while effectively eliminating high roughness on metal surfaces. Preliminary results demonstrate that this novel process can achieve polishing speeds up to ten times faster than conventional techniques, presenting a viable option for enhancing the finishing of 3D printed parts, metal injection moulding, and machined components with high roughness.
Benefits of the innovative DryLyte Hybrid Finish process
The DryLyte Hybrid Finish process offers several benefits that improve surface finishing processes. Among them, it is worth it to highlight that its enhanced speed feature accelerates production by five times compared to other similar processes, slashing lead times and fostering efficient operations. Moreover, precision and finish are significantly enhanced, as the new method drastically reduces waviness and roughness, delivering finishes as fine as Ra 0.5 micrometers in just 40 minutes. Remarkably, this system achieves such precision while removing minimal material – less than 70 micrometers – thus promoting sustainability through reduced waste. Additionally, its high-resolution finishing capability strikes a perfect balance between material removal and geometric preservation, resulting in impeccable surface quality. Furthermore, the system’s dual benefits extend beyond mere surface refinement; it also passivates the surface concurrently, bolstering longevity and resilience against external elements. With these advancements, the New DryLyte Hybrid Finish process sets a new standard for surface finishing excellence.
A promising alliance with immense potential
The collaboration between GPAINNOVA and Cetim represents a convergence of expertise and technology, setting a new standard in the metal finishing industry. By merging DLyte’s dry electropolishing with abrasive materials, the DryLyte Hybrid Finish process not only promises more rapid completion of surface treatments, but also ensures the achievement of superior quality and precision in finished products.
“We are excited to collaborate with Cetim on this groundbreaking project, which leverages the strengths of both organizations to push the boundaries of what’s possible in metal surface finishing,” assessed Pau Sarsanedas, CEO and co-founder of GPAINNOVA. “The DryLyte Hybrid Finish process stands to revolutionize the industry, offering faster, more efficient, and higher-quality results for complex and highly textured surfaces”, he added.
“GPAINNOVA was the best partner to industrialize this process, which is expected by the French industrial community in surface finishing,” added Damien Guillon, scientific and technical manager of the Material-Process-Product operational direction of Cetim.
The DLyte Hybrid Finish machine, which integrates the innovative DryLyte Hybrid Finish process, has already garnered significant recognition, being nominated as a finalist in the post-processing category of the prestigious TCT Awards 2024. This nomination underscores the innovative potential of the technology and its capacity to meet the evolving needs of industries reliant on advanced metal finishing processes.
A DLyte Hybrid Finish machine will integrate Cetim Laboratory before the end of the year to reinforce the existing finishing surface equipment of the Center. “We are pleased to integrate this efficient machine that will help the dissemination of this innovative hybrid finishing process”, concludes Guillon.
Both GPAINNOVA and Cetim are committed to advancing research and development in surface treatment technologies. This partnership not only underscores their leadership in innovation but also their dedication to providing solutions that meet the stringent requirements of industries demanding the highest standards of surface finish quality.

Antoine Gidon, from Cetim (left), and Josep Lluís Coves, from GPAINNOVA (right).
About GPAINNOVA
GPAINNOVA is a technology group established in 2013 in Barcelona, with subsidiaries in Sunrise (Florida, USA), Monterrey (Mexico), Hong Kong, and Shenzhen (China) and specializing in surface metal finishing machinery with its brands DLyte and MURUA; marine robotics with SEABOTS, high-performance power electronics with POWER INNOTECH, and medical devices with GPAMEDICAL. GPAINNOVA has a team of more than 180 professionals on staff and more than 40 engineers, more than 60 distributors, more than 1,000 worldwide clients, and more than 1,000 surface finishing machines installed. GPAINNOVA has been chosen by the Financial Times as one of the 1,000 fastest growing European companies for the fifth consecutive year.
About Cetim, the French leading technological accelerator for industry
Cetim brings the best of research to manufacturers and offers a global solution of consulting and engineering services. Its multidisciplinary skills and its unique R&D capacity are supported by more than 1,100 experts, doctors, engineers and technicians, who transform every day manufacturing players all over the world, for the benefit of an ever more digital, efficient, positive and sustainable industry, capable of responding to the great economic and ecological challenges of our time. Cetim is labelled Carnot institute.
For further information:
GPAINNOVA
C/ Maracaibo, 1, sheds 2-6. 08030 Barcelona
Telephone: (+34) 931 256 536
info@gpainnova.com
www.gpainnova.com
Cetim
Stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in the world of metal surface finishing by subscribing to our newsletter.