serving finishing
excellence since 1972
Vibra Finish operates from 4 plants established in Ontario, Canada serving worldwide. We provide our clients with a one-stop-shop: Vibratory finishing services, shot peening, parts washing, equipment manufacturing and consumables such as chemistry and abrasive media.
Our Services
End to end solution
for your needs
Deburring is a process to eliminate sharp edges and contaminants from metal, alloy, superalloy and plastic components. Using specialized equipment such as tumblers, vibratory finishers, or abrasive blasting machines, deburring removes burrs and other surface imperfections generated during the manufacturing process. This results in a smooth surface with a reduced risk of fine particles contaminating assemblies and handling injuries from sharp edges.
Vibratory peening is a surface treatment process used to improve the fatigue strength and performance of metal components. It involves subjecting the components to high-frequency vibrations while they are immersed in a process specific media. The mechanical action of the vibrating media on the component’s surface induces compressive residual stresses, enhancing its resistance to fatigue and stress-related failures.
Enhance the strength and durability of your parts with our shot peening services.
Washing and degreasing is a crucial step in the surface treatment process. It removes contaminants, oils, grease or residue from the part’s surface, ensuring it is clean and ready for subsequent processes such as machining, welding, coating, plating, or final assembly. We offer high-quality washing and degreasing services to meet our clients’ cleanliness specifications. We use alkaline cleaners, acidic cleaners, mild acids, and soaps to prepare materials for further processing.
Ideal for metallic components that have come directly from a steel mill, or that have been heat-treated or welded, our descaling process effectively removes any heat-treated scales or oxides from the surface. This results in a cleaner, smoother finish which prepares the part for its next stage of manufacturing or assembly.
Rust can be a common issue for metal parts, especially when exposed to moisture or corrosive environments. Our specialized rust removal process safely and effectively removes rust without damaging the underlying material. De-rusting results in clean, smooth, and rust-free components ready for further processing or use.
We use a variety of techniques, such as surface cutting, grinding, and polishing, to prepare your materials for the next step. We also offer specialized services, such as shot peening for metal, alloy, superalloy components, to enhance their strength and durability.
Shot Peening Services Ontario
AMS 2430 & AMS 2432 compliant shot peening for aerospace, automotive, and defense. Fatigue life improvement through precision compressive residual stress — backed by 30+ years and full digital traceability.
What is Shot Peening?
Shot peening is a cold working process in which controlled-size, edge-free shot media — cast steel shot, conditioned cut wire, ceramic, or glass beads — is propelled at high velocity onto a metal surface.
Each impact creates a small Hertzian indentation, plastically deforming the surface layer and inducing a compressive residual stress field extending approximately 100 μm below the surface. This compressive stress layer counteracts tensile stresses that initiate fatigue cracks — extending component life and raising yield strength and hardness without altering core material properties.
Shot peening is not blast cleaning. Blast cleaning removes rust and scale using angular grit. Shot peening uses edge-free, size-controlled media under precisely defined parameters, quantified by Almen intensity per SAE J443, to strengthen the component from within — entirely different engineering purposes.
The Right Choice
Vibra Finish is a NADCAP-accredited facility with more than 30 years of experience processing fatigue-critical components for aerospace OEMs, Tier 1 automotive suppliers, and defense contractors.
Shot Peening at Vibra Finish
Vibra Finish Ltd · 5329 Maingate Drive, Mississauga, ON · 30+ years of NADCAP-accredited shot peening
Industry's Leading Mechanical Surface Treatment
Shot peening creates compressive residual stresses at the surface, counteracting tensile stresses that promote fatigue crack initiation. Significantly increases component service life on shafts, gears, springs, and compressor blades.
The cold working effect increases dislocation density in the surface layer, raising yield stress and surface hardness without compromising core material properties — delivering superior fretting and contact fatigue resistance.
No chemical consumables, no liquid waste. Shot media is continuously recycled and reconditioned. Components designed with peening can be made lighter without sacrificing durability — a direct benefit for aerospace and EV structures.
Applicable to aluminum alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx), titanium, carbon & alloy steels, stainless steel, Inconel, and Waspaloy. CNC robotic, lance, air blast, and wheel blast equipment handles any geometry including inner diameters.
The Shot Peening Process at Vibra Finish
Nothing enters production without a reviewed technical plan and a passed first article. Every batch is fully traceable from receipt to shipment.
Customer Specification Review
Process begins with the customer's engineering drawing and applicable AMS specification. Vibra's process engineers develop the process from the specification requirements — not independently.
Process Development to Applicable Standards
Vibra develops a formal technical process plan documenting the complete parameter set: Almen intensity range, coverage requirements, media type and size, equipment selection, and masking requirements.
Technical Plan Submission & Customer Approval
The technical process plan is submitted to the customer for review and formal approval before any production activity begins. No parts are processed until the customer has approved.
First Article
A first article is run to verify the process delivers the specified Almen intensity under production conditions. Results are documented and submitted for customer approval before series production begins.
Production — Customer-Approved Process Only
Series production runs only after first article approval. For AMS 2432 jobs, all process parameters — air pressure, media flow rate, wheel speed — are monitored and recorded in real time throughout every run.
Full Traceability & Documentation Package
Every batch is traceable from receipt to shipment. The documentation package includes the approved process plan, Almen strip readings, machine parameter records, and batch identification for aerospace audit.
Shot Peening Equipment & Capabilities
Vibra operates a full range of shot peening equipment configured for parts of every size, geometry, and complexity.
Wheel Blast Spinner Hanger Machines
High-volume production peening of medium to large components. Delivers consistent 360-degree coverage — well-suited to batch processing of automotive drivetrain and structural industrial parts.
Air Blast Machines
Precision nozzle-directed peening for complex geometries. Adjustable nozzle setup addresses intricate contours, re-entrant radii, and transition zones that wheel blast systems cannot adequately reach.
CNC Robotic Shot Peening
Multi-axis robotic arm follows programmed toolpaths across curved surfaces, compound contours, leading edges, and transition radii. Maintains specified Almen intensity regardless of part geometry. Full CNC control.
Computer-Controlled Lance Peening
Extends coverage into bore inner diameters, blind pockets, and internal features inaccessible to external equipment. All process parameters logged and traceable to batch level, compliant with AMS 2430 and AMS 2432.
Process Specifications (within NADCAP scope)
Industries We Serve
From NADCAP-accredited aerospace processing to high-volume automotive production, Vibra supports the most demanding supply chains in Canada.
Aerospace
Engine shafts, landing gear cylinders, airframe structural members, turbine hubs, and compressor blades — all to AMS 2432 with full data logging.
Automotive
Gears, crankshafts, transmission shafts, connecting rods, coil and leaf springs for Tier 1 and OEM customers under IATF 16949:2016 certification.
Defense & Industrial
Structural components, weapons system parts, and armored vehicle chassis members with full process documentation and aerospace-level traceability.
Medical & Additive
Orthopedic implants in titanium and cobalt-chrome. Post-build surface treatment for 3D-printed metal components correcting residual tensile stresses.
Photo Gallery
Certifications & Compliance Standards
Every certification Vibra holds exists to protect quality, traceability, and your supply chain approval.
Aerospace Special Process Accreditation — covers AMS 2430 & AMS 2432 shot peening. Required by major aerospace OEMs from their suppliers.
Aerospace Quality Management System + ISO 9001:2015 — process control, traceability, and NCR management throughout the facility.
Automotive Quality Management — Tier 1 automotive supply chain qualification required by major manufacturers and their supply chains.
Environmental Management System — green supply chain & waste management compliance for buyers managing ESG requirements.
Shot Peening vs. Blast Cleaning
Both processes use similar equipment, but the intent, control parameters, and engineering outcome are entirely different.
| Shot Peening | Blast Cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Media Type | Edge-free, size-controlled — cast steel shot, conditioned cut wire, ceramic, glass | Angular grit with sharp edges — steel grit, alumina, slag |
| Purpose | Surface strengthening via compressive residual stress | Surface preparation / rust and scale removal |
| Depth of Effect | ~100 μm compressive residual stress layer | Superficial — top few microns only |
| Measurement | Almen intensity (SAE J443 procedure) | Visual cleanliness grade (Sa 2.5, ISO 8501-1) |
| Result | Increased fatigue life, improved yield strength | Clean surface profile for coating adhesion |
Frequently Asked Questions
Shot peening is a controlled cold working process in which edge-free, size-controlled shot media is propelled at high velocity onto a metal surface. Each impact creates a compressive residual stress layer approximately 100 μm deep, counteracting tensile stresses that initiate fatigue cracks. It is a strengthening process, not a cleaning process.
Fatigue cracks initiate at the surface under tensile stress. Shot peening introduces a compressive residual stress layer that any applied tensile load must overcome before a crack can form, raising the fatigue threshold of the component. The effect is consistent and measurable wherever shot peening is specified on cyclically loaded parts.
Shot peening is applicable to aluminum alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx series), titanium alloys, carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels, and high-temperature superalloys including Inconel and Waspaloy. Each material requires a specific media type, Almen intensity range, and coverage specification per the customer drawing and applicable AMS standard.
Almen intensity is the standardised measurement of shot peening energy delivery. Almen strips — precision SAE 1070 carbon steel coupons peened under production conditions — are measured with a calibrated Almen gauge. The arc height, in thousandths of an inch on the specified strip type, is the Almen intensity. All readings are recorded in Vibra's documentation package.
AMS 2430 covers automated shot peening — media type, Almen intensity verification, coverage requirements, and documentation. AMS 2432 is computer-monitored shot peening where every process parameter is digitally logged and controlled in real time. AMS 2432 is mandated for flight-critical components. Vibra is NADCAP accredited and compliant with both.
Yes. Vibra's multi-axis robotic shot peening system follows programmed toolpaths across complex external geometries. Computer-controlled lance peening extends that capability to bore inner diameters, blind pockets, and internal features. Both systems operate under full CNC control with results compliant with AMS 2430 and AMS 2432.
NADCAP accreditation covering AMS 2430 and AMS 2432 shot peening; AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 for aerospace quality management; IATF 16949:2016 for automotive supply chains; and ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management.
Shot peening requires no chemical consumables, produces no liquid effluent, and shot media is continuously recycled and reconditioned. The only waste stream is fine particulate captured by the dust collection system. Vibra holds ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certification.
Quick Facts
Get a Quote
Submit your part specifications — material, geometry, surface area, annual volume, and applicable AMS specification. Vibra's engineering team confirms the process recommendation, Almen intensity range, and equipment selection.
Shot Peening Services for Montreal Manufacturers
NADCAP-accredited shot peening — AMS 2430 & AMS 2432 compliant — delivered to Montreal aerospace and industrial manufacturers from Vibra Finish's Mississauga facility. Active research partner of Polytechnique Montreal since January 2024.
Shot Peening for Montreal Manufacturers — Delivered from Mississauga
Vibra Finish is based in Mississauga, Ontario — approximately 540 km from Montreal via the Highway 401/20 corridor. For specialised, NADCAP-accredited shot peening, Montreal manufacturers regularly partner with out-of-province processing suppliers, and Vibra has been a trusted choice for Quebec aerospace and industrial clients for over three decades.
Vibra's most significant Montreal credential is its active research partnership with Polytechnique Montreal — one of Canada's leading engineering institutions. Since January 2024, Vibra and Polytechnique have been collaborating on next-generation shot peening applications for aerospace structures and components, establishing an ongoing, hands-on connection to Montreal's engineering community that no competitor in Canada can match.
Parts ship via freight on the standard Highway 401/20 Ontario-Quebec industrial corridor. Vibra coordinates directly with freight partners for bulk aerospace batches. We serve the full Montreal region: Saint-Laurent aerospace corridor, Longueuil, Laval, Mirabel, and the wider Quebec manufacturing base.
Montreal Regions We Serve
Vibra serves the full Greater Montreal aerospace and industrial manufacturing base, including all major production clusters across the region.
What is Shot Peening & Why Montreal's Aerospace Sector Depends on It
Shot peening is a controlled surface treatment in which edge-free, size-controlled shot media — cast steel shot, conditioned cut wire, ceramic, or glass — is propelled at high velocity against a metal component. Each impact generates a Hertzian indentation, creating a compressive residual stress field ~100 μm deep that directly counteracts the tensile stresses responsible for fatigue crack initiation and propagation.
The cold working effect simultaneously increases dislocation density throughout the treated layer, raising yield strength and surface hardness — without altering the properties of the underlying material.
For Montreal's aerospace sector, shot peening is not optional — it is a mandated process step. Engine components, landing gear assemblies, turbine shafts, and structural airframe elements must be certified shot peened to meet airworthiness and fatigue life requirements. AMS 2430 and AMS 2432 are the governing specifications; NADCAP accreditation is the special-process qualification aerospace OEMs require from their shot peening suppliers.
Canada's Aerospace Capital
Montreal is Canada's aerospace capital. More than 230 aerospace companies operate in the Greater Montreal area — the third-largest aerospace cluster in the world after Seattle and Toulouse. Shot peening is a mandatory processing step across the vast majority of these supply chains.
Montreal is also home to Polytechnique Montreal, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), and McGill University — three institutions highly active in materials science, surface engineering, and aerospace research. Vibra's active research collaboration with Polytechnique Montreal positions it at the frontier of advanced peening work directly relevant to Montreal's R&D-intensive manufacturers and emerging aerospace applications.
Montreal Industries That Rely on Shot Peening
From NADCAP-accredited aerospace processing to industrial manufacturing and university research partnerships, Vibra supports Montreal's most demanding supply chains.
Aerospace
Montreal's aerospace cluster — spanning engine, airframe, helicopter, simulation, and structural-component OEMs across Saint-Laurent, Longueuil, Mirabel, and surrounding region — runs on supply chains that require NADCAP-accredited shot peening to AMS 2430 and AMS 2432. Vibra holds NADCAP accreditation and is compliant with both specifications.
Automotive & Industrial
Montreal's industrial manufacturing base extends well beyond aerospace. Suppliers processing gears, drive shafts, tooling, and structural components for automotive and heavy industrial applications use shot peening to extend fatigue life and reduce in-service failures. Vibra's IATF 16949:2016 certification covers automotive supply chain qualification directly.
Research & Advanced Manufacturing
Vibra's active research collaboration with Polytechnique Montreal positions it at the frontier of advanced peening work directly relevant to Montreal's R&D-intensive manufacturers — including work at Polytechnique Montreal, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), and McGill University on materials science and aerospace surface engineering applications.
Five Reasons Montreal Aerospace Manufacturers Partner with Vibra
Polytechnique Montréal Research Partner
Since January 2024, Vibra has been in an active research collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal on advanced aerospace peening applications — a connection to Montreal's engineering community that no competitor in Canada can match.
NADCAP-Accredited for Aerospace Supply Chains
Vibra is NADCAP accredited for shot peening to AMS 2430 and AMS 2432 — the special-process qualification required by aerospace OEMs from their suppliers. Montreal's aerospace OEMs require this accreditation from every shot peening supplier in their supply chain.
AMS 2430 & AMS 2432 Compliant
Both standard and computer-monitored shot peening specifications are covered, addressing the full range of Montreal aerospace purchase orders — from structural components to flight-critical parts requiring full real-time parameter traceability.
30+ Years Serving Canadian Aerospace
Vibra has been processing aerospace components for OEM supply chains across Canada since the early 1990s — including supply chains serving Montreal's major OEMs. Over three decades of NADCAP-accredited shot peening for the demands of the Canadian aerospace industry.
Full Process Traceability on Every Batch
Every batch is logged with complete parameter data — Almen strip readings, media condition records, machine parameters, and batch identification — providing the documentation Montreal aerospace customers require for their own quality systems and OEM audits. Parts processed and shipped with a complete documentation package ready for aerospace customer review.
Vibra Finish Shot Peening Capabilities for Montreal Clients
Vibra's equipment and certification profile is built for exactly the work Montreal aerospace OEM supply chains require — from high-volume batch production to precision CNC robotic peening of complex aerofoil geometries.
Wheel Blast Spinner Hangers
High-volume production peening of medium to large components with consistent 360-degree coverage across complex three-dimensional aerospace geometries. Ideal for batch processing of Montreal aerospace structural and drivetrain components.
Air Blast Machines
Precision nozzle-directed peening for complex aerospace geometries requiring controlled, targeted media impingement on intricate contours, re-entrant radii, and transition zones common in Montreal's engine and airframe component supply chains.
CNC Robotic Shot Peening
Vibra's multi-axis robotic arm follows programmed toolpaths across curved aerofoil surfaces, compound contours, fillet radii, and complex structural forms — maintaining the specified Almen intensity across the full peen zone regardless of part geometry. Full CNC control, complete parameter logging, compliant with AMS 2430 and AMS 2432.
Computer-Controlled Lance Peening
Extends coverage to bore inner diameters, landing gear strut internals, and engine component bores — internal features inaccessible to external equipment. Full CNC control with complete parameter logging compliant with AMS 2430 and AMS 2432.
Accreditation & Certifications for Montreal OEMs
Materials processed: aluminum alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx series), titanium alloys, carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels, and nickel superalloys including Inconel and Waspaloy. Full batch-level traceability with complete process documentation on every job.
Frequently Asked Questions — Shot Peening for Montreal Manufacturers
Vibra Finish is based in Mississauga, Ontario and regularly processes parts for Montreal-area aerospace and industrial manufacturers. Parts ship via freight on the Highway 401/20 Ontario-Quebec corridor. We are NADCAP accredited, AMS 2430/2432 compliant, and an active research partner of Polytechnique Montreal since January 2024.
Vibra holds NADCAP accreditation for shot peening to AMS 2430 and AMS 2432 — the specifications aerospace OEMs require from their Tier 1 and Tier 2 supply chains. Vibra is also an active research partner of Polytechnique Montreal on advanced peening applications since January 2024, giving it a unique, hands-on connection to Montreal's aerospace engineering community.
Vibra complies with AMS 2430 (automated shot peening) and AMS 2432 (computer-monitored shot peening). We are NADCAP accredited and certified to AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and IATF 16949:2016 — covering aerospace, defense, and automotive requirements for Montreal-area buyers.
Parts ship via freight on the Highway 401/20 Ontario-Quebec corridor — the standard industrial supply route between the two provinces. Vibra coordinates with freight partners for larger aerospace batches. Contact us to discuss logistics for your specific production volume and schedule.
Submit your part specifications — material, geometry, surface area, volume, and required AMS specification — via our online quote form or call 905-625-9955. We provide a process recommendation and pricing typically within one business day.
Quick Facts — Shot Peening for Montreal & Quebec
Get a Shot Peening Quote — Serving Montreal & Quebec Manufacturers
Vibra Finish has delivered NADCAP-accredited shot peening to Canadian aerospace and industrial manufacturers for over 30 years — including supply chains serving Montreal's major OEMs. Submit your part specifications and receive a process recommendation typically within one business day.
Advanced Manufacturing
From Prototype To Bulk Scale
We Hold These Certifications
Our Valued Partnerships
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techniques. This research has led to positive results that we believe will have a significant impact on how aerospace and industries with related needs will handle the peening requirements of their components in the future.
“From the success of the previous collaboration, as of January 1st, 2024, Vibra Finish Limited and the University of Polytechnique, Montreal will be partnering on a scientific research program with industry leaders in the aerospace community to further develop these new technologies and explore how best to implement these developments in to practical use”. - Zach McGillivray
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flow-through systems utilize our custom-blended Reactive Separating Agents (RSAs) to simplify the treatment of your industrial wastewater. Our systems are ideal for removing suspended solids, emulsified oils, dissolved metals and many other types of contaminants from your wastewater, servicing the need for industrial wastewater treatment in a variety of processes. Each of our environmentally beneficial systems enable even the smallest of facilities to treat wastewater streams at a fraction of the cost of larger, more complex industrial systems, providing an immense cost savings to our domestic and international customers.
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Mike and I believe placing great value in our people all while having fun is what makes the difference in our industry and in people’s lives.” says Doyel. This really is where science and care converge – and that makes all the difference. Now, KYZEN is celebrating three decades and a global success story as leader in creating environmentally responsible cleaning solutions and innovations for electronics assembly, metal finishing and advanced packaging. This growth is the direct result of its unique culture and approach to the convergence of science and care. KYZEN uniquely understands the risks, takes on the big commitments and delivers with high-energy people, scientific excellence and the resources needed, all while MAKING A DIFFERENCE in the lives of people.
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and matchless machine quality. Jenfab Cleaning Solutions was founded in 1960—the year of Muhammad Ali’s first professional fight, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” the establishment of the Dallas Cowboys and John F. Kennedy’s presidential election. Our first machine was a cleaning system for rocket rails. (Did we mention the Space Race?) In 1962, our company was awarded a contract to manufacture shipping cradles for the fuel rails used in the Saturn V Missile. How were these aluminum fuel rails going to be cleaned before shipping? At the time, cleaning metal parts with chlorinated solvents, such as mineral spirits (IFI) and trichloroethylene (TCE), was the standard. Yet because of the product’s nature, it was decided that an aqueous solution made of alkaline cleaner and water would be better. Jenfab fabricated its first cleaning system for the missile’s fuel rails in 1963. After that project, the business shifted from welding fabrication to building aqueous parts washing systems. By 1967, Jenfab was primarily building parts washers.
To learn more about the product, click the button below to download the information sheet.
Media is propelled at high velocity during peening and blasting operations. Various shot types exist for your application. Cut wire and cast steel shots can be used for both blast cleaning and shot peening while plastic media and Grit are essentially used for blast cleaning. Our media is available in a wide range of size in each category (Cut wire, cast shot, grit etc) . Custom sizes are available upon request.
Ceramic Media is recommended for light and heavy deburring, tough metal removal and cutting hard or heavy metals such as steel or stainless steel. It is also used to remove rust on parts and general purpose polishing various materials. Call us today to discuss your requirements.
Ideal for soft metals like brass or aluminum and for stringy materials. Typically used on pre-paint or pre-plate finishing, polishing, and deburring. Provides a smooth and durable finish.
Steel media can be used for burnishing as well as light deburring. The low energy media impacts and friction pound the top peaks of the roughness profile, leaving a perfectly flat and shiny surface finish, also enhancing the corrosion resistance of the part by closing micro-porosity. The shapes of the media have low influence on the final roughness, but affect the efficacy of the process while offering different access relative to different geometries. Stainless and carbon steel media are available. Steel media has infinite lifetime.
Glass beads can be used for peening, finishing or cleaning. Glass spheres used in vibratory finishing applications can smooth, burnish and polish. Glass beads are non-toxic and harmless to the environment. Available in various sizes.
MILD ACIDIC BURNISHER: For polishing and burnishing of Zinc, Brass, Copper, Aluminum and Steel / Iron. PH 4.8 and Biodegradable. Use with plastic, ceramic or steel media.
L-243
L-245
RUST INHIBITORS: For short term rust inhibition of Steel / Iron. PH 9.5 and Biodegradable.
082G
R-501
R-601
AWM
ALKALINE CLEANERS: For cleaning, deburring and degreasing of Zinc, Copper, Aluminum and Steel / Iron. PH 11.5 to 12.0 and Biodegradable. Use with steel and ceramic media.
L-350
L-100
L-227
In Vibra-Max technology, each machine is built specific to customer part requirements.
What’s your project?
Challenges we’ve solved in the past
When 3D printing (originally SLS) was invented in 1984 the concept attracted interest from designers and innovators alike. It was futuristic and unique and the notion fertilized considerations of what many uses “printing” could have however, the technology was young and limitations were apparent. It would be two decades and many R&D hours later before it would be available for on-demand manufacturing. This happened in 2006.
Since the first on-demand printers were put to use, most applications were limited to creating prototype models used as references and demonstrations of parts that would be made using traditional manufacturing techniques. The continuous developments have grown concepts and potential uses into the production of usable, functioning parts.
It is now 2019 and the capabilities of part printing are seen in a range of materials and applications found in industries from automotive and aerospace to everyday consumer goods, but one issue still limits further advancement of the 3D printing industry’s almost limitless potential; Stair stepping.
Stepping is a common issue, a result of printing a part from the bottom up, adding material layer by layer. With intricate parts with varying geometries, some layers are wider than others, creating a “stair” like step from one layer to the next. Although this issue is constantly being improved resulting in tighter tolerances, the fine steps on the finished parts surface still exist and can create both aesthetic and functionality issues.
A large portion of our business at Vibra Finish Ltd in Mississauga is surface improvement of parts manufactured using many different methods. We not only process parts in-house, we also manufacture the equipment to do the job and develop processes with special media and compounds that our customers can use in their facilities with our equipment. Recently we have seen a significant number of requests for this requirement, specifically from customers who have purchased 3D printers to make their own parts as well as manufacturers who make the printers themselves. Most of the materials used to make these parts are more resistant to traditional vibratory finishing. This was apparent during our early testing on these parts which we began a few years ago. To directly compare our results we processed two similar parts made from the same materials that are common in printing such as nylon, plastic, stainless steel, aluminum, and nitinol. For the test we used one part that was 3D printed, the other was machined or casted. The printed parts showed a significantly less wear rate than those made using other methods which meant in order to attain the same level of finishing; it required more consumption of water and medias as well as longer processing times. There are media on the market that have higher abrasives which reduce cycle times but the trade-off is the rate of wear in medias which can be significant.
Since these discoveries we have run thousands of parts for customers with varying requirements of printed parts. Our successes have come from our R&D department who have been working alongside our media suppliers developing new media of different shapes and sizes to accommodate different part geometries. These new 3D specific medias also contain a high level of abrasive, similar to “fast-cutting” media with bond compositions that are dense to combat the wear levels that take place when running extended cycle times.
These new products along with our application specific, custom-built machines have opened up the gates where final-finish processing, done often by hand had previously bottle-necked the production volume.
The history of media finishing goes back centuries, long before sophisticated machinery would do the job for us. The concept is basic but the need for the application’s improvements are in high demand. With the manufacturing industry ever changing, it will continue to grow as the technologies of our time force us forward. You print the parts, we will finish things up. It’s what we do.
Zach B. McGillivray
President
Vibra Finish Ltd
High-volume parts washing is a critical process in modern manufacturing facilities that handle large quantities of metal and alloy components. This case study explores how Vibra Finish Limited, a manufacturing/parts processing company successfully implemented a high-volume parts washing system, leading to improved efficiency, reduced production costs, and enhanced output quality.
Vibra Finish Limited specializes in processing various automotive components for the global market. With an increasing demand for their combined services in multi-process requirements (shot peening followed by washing and often rust prevention chemistry, they faced challenges in maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and surface preparation for the parts. Traditional manual washing methods proved to be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inconsistent, impacting overall production timelines and product quality.
In search of an efficient and cost-effective solution, Vibra Finish Limited invested in high-volume parts washing systems. The new systems incorporated an automated conveyor belt, spray jets, and immersion tanks with specialized cleaning agents, designed to handle large batches of components at a time.
The implementation process began with an in-depth analysis of the customer’s specific washing requirements, component sizes, and material compositions. Collaborating with a leading industrial cleaning equipment supplier, Vibra Finish Limited customized the system to accommodate their diverse range of customer’s parts effectively.
The high-volume parts washing system was integrated into their production line, allowing parts to move seamlessly from one stage of processing (shot peening) to the cleaning process. The automated conveyor system ensured a continuous flow of parts, minimizing downtime and increasing productivity.
Enhanced Efficiency: The automated system significantly reduced manual labor, resulting in faster cleaning cycles and improved production rates. The overall manufacturing process became streamlined, reducing lead times and increasing throughput.
Consistent Quality: The precise control of cleaning agents and temperatures in the high-volume parts washing system led to consistent and uniform cleaning results. This consistency in surface preparation enhanced the quality of finished products, reducing the risk of defects or rejections.
Cost Savings: By eliminating the need for extensive manual labor, the company experienced substantial cost savings in the long run. The reduction in rework and scrap also contributed to overall cost-effectiveness.
Environmentally Friendly: The high-volume parts washing system utilized environmentally friendly cleaning agents, reducing the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. It adhered to the company’s commitment to sustainable practices.
Implementing a high-volume parts washing system proved to be a transformative solution for XYZ Industries. By embracing automation and cutting-edge technology, the company successfully improved efficiency, reduced costs, and maintained a consistent level of product quality. High-volume parts washing became a crucial cornerstone in their pursuit of excellence in manufacturing, enabling them to stay competitive in a demanding global market.
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