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• What is Pitch Polishing?

What is pitch polishing? Precision Surface and its partners provide pitch polishing.

Precision Surface and its companies provide pitch polishing using a pitch plate and much finer polishing media you can polish metals and it is similar to the lapping process.

Precision Surface manufactures and provides single-sided polishing machines for a variety of optical components.

Typically, components range in size from 20mm diameter to 600mm diameter. Machine sizes are achievable depending on both machine and component size and type.

Pitch polishing requires skills that have been developed over time. Tolerances for surface flatness, roughness, parallelism and cosmetics can be achieved using the conventional lapping process with coarser abrasives.

If you require improved surface quality of an Ra of less than 5 Å, then the pitch polishing process may be the right surface process for your needs.

Semi-fluid surface pitch plates with a consistency similar to bitumen (asphalt) and are manufactured at our UK site.

If your searching for exceptional surface roughness and surface flatness Peter Wolters concentric, spiral, radial and cross-hatched grooving is either hand cut or machine cut to allow the polishing slurry to flow beneath components.

Our goal is to employ highly-experienced optical technicians at Peter Wolters. Our employees have extensive knowledge and experience of the optical polishing process and can provide consistent, high quality components.

What are pitch polishing consumables?

Cerium Oxide

Using stainless steel components and epoxy paints, polishing machines with cerium oxide abrasive slurry should be protected from corrosion. A good source of corrosion in unprotected ferrous metal machines and components is water. Water is commonly used with the cerium oxide. Pitch polishing machines by Precision Surface are constructed appropriately to eliminate corrosion problems from contact with water and high pH abrasive. When working with cerium oxide polishing, quoting a standard lapping machine must include these corrosion resistant elements.

Cerium Oxide (CeO2) offers an enhanced polishing performance for optical flats, as well as other applications like filters and prisms. Cerium oxide has long lasting polishing efficiency providing excellent surface quality. Cerium oxide can retain its effectiveness over longer periods, even when used under demanding polishing conditions. It’s used for optical pitch applications and with a variety of pads. This abrasive is used strictly for polishing glass like materials on a soft polishing pad or pitch polishing plate. The average particle size utilized is typically somewhere in the range of one to three microns. Some brands of cerium oxide have a slightly high pH level. These abrasives cause an oxidation of the surface being polished. The oxidized material is mechanically removed by the rotating action of the pitch plate or polishing pad. 

Why use Precision Surface and Peter Wolters Pitch Polishing Machines / Systems?

Precision Surface Peter Wolters and pitch polishing machines and systems offers a complete line of products for all pitch polishing requirements. We can offer fully integrated systems and machines for high volume pitch polishing and industrial production applications and equipment for low volume job shop applications. Precision Surface Peter Wolters also offers used pitch polishing (rebuilt and refurbished) and upgrade services for existing polishing machines. We provide our pitch polishing customers with fully engineered complete custom solutions and offer a full line of accessories and consumables in addition to comprehensive training and repair services.

Our extensive line of pitch polishing machines / systems for both medium to large-scale serial production as well as small batch production; these systems can be made to be manually operated or fully automated. With innovation and customer service as our main objectives, Lapmaster continuously researching and developing new technology and pitch polishing machinery. By consistently staying on top of the latest developments on the market, we ensure that our customers are provided with the most state-of-the-art production and control.