RIE offers customers extensive experience in electropolishing to complement our other finishing capabilities. For more information about electropolishing, speak to our team of engineers. Call 320-207-3140 or contact us online.
Talk to an Expert:
RIE offers professional electropolishing services, working with various metal alloys for an array of industries. We have the premium service and technical knowledge to address any electropolishing requirement, regardless of complexity.
Electropolishing is a finishing process that gives metal a shiny, clean and smooth finish. It removes a layer of material from the surface to:
Reduce roughness:
Smooths the surface on a microscopic level.
Improve appearance:
Gives the substrate a bright, reflective, aesthetically pleasing finish.
Debur rough edges:
Removes displaced surface materials.
Remove defects:
Targets fissures and cracks, reducing the likelihood of corrosion and increasing the part’s operational life.
The piece is connected to a positive terminal to counteract the negatively charged cathode. The anode and cathode are immersed in an electrolyte solution, and then an electrical current passes through the solution to electropolish the surface.
The most common metal we electropolish is stainless steel. The process gives stainless steel a clean, shiny, smooth finish that can resist corrosion. Besides electropolishing stainless steel, RIE can electropolish these other compatible metals:
RIE works with many industries to improve surface finishes via electropolishing, including:
RIE follows industry standards for electropolishing stainless steel and other metals, following these steps:
The surface is prepared to remove the contaminants that could prevent a smooth, uniform result. We then clean it with vapor degreasing or an alkaline soak cleaner and rinse it. This process removes oil, grease and more from the substrate, so when electric current is applied, there is no interference.
During the electropolishing process, the surface is treated to deburr, brighten and smooth it. We can apply the electrolyte treatment solution using a spray rinse or a dead rinse. Treatment times can range from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on what the substrate requires.
In the post-treatment phase, the residual electrolytes and byproducts of the electrochemical reaction are removed, and the metal is dried to prevent staining. This step ensures the surface finish is consistent and the product is sterilized. The post-dip options include:
RIE offers customers extensive experience in electropolishing to complement our other finishing capabilities. For more information about electropolishing, speak to our team of engineers. Call 320-207-3140 or contact us online.