Why it scales
Hand polishing costs money per part and produces variation between operators. Vibration polishing puts the whole batch in a bowl with ceramic or plastic media and a liquid compound, and the media does the work uniformly. A 500-piece order that would take a week of hand polishing is finished overnight.
The result is not a mirror - it is a smooth satin with softly rounded edges, Ra 0.2-0.4 um. For jewellery and hardware, that is exactly the surface PVD wants: enough gloss to look premium, enough tooth to hold the coating, and no sharp edge for the layer to fail on.
Vibration polishing at a glance
| Parameter | Capability |
|---|---|
| Batch size | Economical from 50 pieces; runs of 200-2,000 are routine |
| Media | Ceramic triangles, plastic cones, steel shot for heavy deburring |
| Result | Ra 0.2-0.4 um satin, edges rounded 0.05-0.2 mm |
| Time | 2-8 hours depending on starting roughness and target |
| What it removes | Layer lines, burrs, support witness marks, light oxidation |
| What it does not do | Flatten a warped face, remove deep scratches, or create a mirror |
| Lead time | 1-3 working days |
| Cost | Priced per batch, not per part - the reason it wins above 200 pieces |
Where it replaces hand polishing
- ✓Jewellery and hardware batches of 200-2,000 pieces
- ✓Eyewear and watch components
- ✓Dog hooks, buckles and small hardware before PVD
- ✓Deburring printed and machined parts in one operation
- ✓Uniform edge rounding for safer handling
- ✓Preparation for mirror polishing on larger batches
Need a true mirror on a small batch? That still needs hand polishing, and we will tell you so before you order rather than after.
Frequently asked questions
How many parts can you run at once?
Around 2,000 small parts per cycle in our largest bowl, depending on part size and how much media they displace. Above that we split into multiple cycles.
Will it round off fine detail?
It will soften edges by 0.05-0.2 mm. Delicate text, knurling or a sharp chamfer can be lost - if those matter, tell us and we either shorten the cycle or mask the part.
Can vibration polishing replace mirror polishing?
No. It reaches Ra 0.2-0.4 um which reads as a satin, not a mirror. For reflective jewellery faces you still need hand polishing after the vibro step.
Get your quote within 48 hours
Upload a 3D file (STL, STEP, OBJ, 3MF) or just a photo / drawing. An engineer checks printability, flags anything that will not print, and replies with a clear price breakdown within 48 hours. From one prototype to 1,000+ pieces.
Prefer email? dimension3dHAN@gmail.com