Brushed finish process for aluminum alloy surface

The surface of aluminum alloy can be brushed into several patterns according to decorative needs, including straight lines, random lines, screw lines, waves, and spirals.

Linear brushing refers to the process of creating straight-line patterns on the surface of aluminum alloys through mechanical friction. It serves the dual purpose of removing scratches from the aluminum alloy surface and decorating the aluminum plate surface. Linear brushing can produce either continuous or discontinuous streaks. Continuous streaks can be obtained by using a scouring pad or stainless steel brush to perform continuous horizontal linear friction on the aluminum surface (for example, manually brushing under special device conditions or using a planer to hold a steel brush to brush the aluminum plate). By changing the diameter of the stainless steel brush wires, different thicknesses of patterns can be achieved. Discontinuous streaks are generally processed on a polishing or patterning machine. The principle of production: two sets of differentially rotating wheels are used, with the upper set being rapidly rotating grinding rollers and the lower set being slowly rotating rubber rollers. As aluminum or aluminum alloy plates pass through the two sets of rollers, fine discontinuous linear patterns are brushed onto the surface.

Random brushed texture is a kind of matte brushed finish with irregular, indistinct patterns, obtained by moving the aluminum plate in all directions under the friction of a high-speed copper wire brush. This process requires a high-quality surface on aluminum or aluminum alloy plates.

Wavy patterns are generally produced on polishing or brushing machines. By using the axial movement of the upper set of grinding rollers to brush the surface of the aluminum alloy, a wave-like texture is obtained.

Rotary patterns, also known as swirls, are a type of thread-like texture obtained by using a cylindrical felt or abrasive nylon wheel mounted on a drilling machine. Polishing paste mixed with kerosene is applied to polish the surface of aluminum or aluminum alloy plates through rotation. This technique is commonly used for decorative processing of circular nameplates and small decorative dials.

The threads are made using a small motor mounted on a shaft with a circular felt pad. The motor is fixed on the table at an angle of about 60 degrees to the edge of the table. An additional sliding board with a fixed aluminum plate for pressing tea is made, and a strip of straight-edged polyester film is attached to the sliding board to restrict the intensity of the threads. By combining the rotation of the felt pad with the linear movement of the sliding board, uniform-threaded patterns are rubbed onto the surface of the aluminum plate.

Of course, you need to brush the surface before plating.

Before bending and other forming processes, it is generally flat plate brushing. In fact, surface treatment has very high requirements for the preprocessing of the substrate; otherwise, the surface treatment may actually amplify the defects of the substrate.

The surface brushing of plastic parts is generally done through hot stamping. Under the high temperature and high pressure of the hot stamping machine, the material on the hot stamping film is transferred onto the plastic surface. By choosing different hot stamping films, different gloss and texture effects can be achieved. This process is widely used on the panels of disc players. Nowadays, many magic mirror decorative components used in audio-visual products are actually reflective films stamped on PMMA sheets (some also use electroplated aluminum). For aluminum surface treatment, besides brushing, sandblasting is also commonly used, which can similarly help conceal scratches and enhance appearance. Additionally, there is a type of "hot stamping" process (electro-aluminum transfer) that can create a similar effect on the surface of plastic parts.