Polishing
Polishing involves removing stock from a part using loose or loosely held abrasive grains carried to the part by a flexible support. Usually, the objective is to achieve a desired surface finish or appearance rather then to remove a specified amount of stock. Buffing is included in this unit operation, and usually is performed using a revolving cloth or sisal buffing wheel, which is coated with a suitable compound. Liquid buffing compounds are used extensively for large-volume production on semiautomated or automated buffing equipment. Polishing operations typically are dry, although liquid compounds and associated rinses are used in some polishing processes.