Ceramic And Steel Ball Precision Polishing
What This Process Needs To Solve
A bearing lives or dies on ball roundness and surface finish. A ceramic or steel ball that leaves the lapping plate with a scratch, a flat or a residual pit will run noisy and fail early, so this step is judged on roughness and roundness rather than on removal rate. Diamond is used as a free abrasive in the lapping and polishing stages, in both grit and micron sizes.
The two size families we supply for this work are 20–40 mesh for the abrasive stage and 20–40 µm for finishing. Both are HDY monocrystalline micron powder, our yellow high-grade material: the crystal shape is regular and the particle size distribution is narrow enough that no single coarse particle scores the ball.
What decides the result
Three things decide it: a tight particle size distribution, a crystal shape without long splinters, and dispersion. An agglomerate behaves like a coarse particle once it is in the slurry, and that is where most scratch complaints come from. We screen the top cut and report the distribution on the certificate.
Sizes and alternatives
20–40 mesh for the abrasive stage, 20–40 µm for polishing. Where a plant runs a wider ladder, HDG covers the middle sizes as an economical alternative, and HDYP polycrystalline-like micron powder is available where the customer wants a higher removal rate in the same step.
Recommended Grades For Ball Finishing
Two size families cover the process: a mesh grit for the abrasive stage and a micron powder for finishing. Most plants run a ladder through both.
| Stage | Recommended grade | Size range | Why this grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abrasive and lapping stageBearing balls, ceramic balls, rollers | |||
| Rough lapping | HDY monocrystalline micron | 20–40 mesh | Regular crystal shape, cuts evenly |
| Intermediate lapping | HDY / HDG micron powder | 20–40 µm | Narrow distribution for roundness control |
| Polishing stageRoughness and surface finish | |||
| Fine polishing | HDY micron powder | W40 – W20 | No stray coarse particles in the slurry |
| Final polishing | HDY micron powder | W14 – W7 | Consistent surface finish ball to ball |
Where roundness is critical we recommend a two-step ladder — 20–40 mesh followed by 20–40 µm — rather than a single size. HDYP is available where the same step has to remove more material.
What has to hold
- Tight particle size distribution
- Regular crystal shape, free of long splinters
- Good dispersion, no agglomeration in slurry
- Low metal impurity
Where it ships
Diamond Grades For This Process
Factory Direct Since 1990
Zhecheng Hongxiang Superhard Material Co., Ltd. is an integrated manufacturer and exporter of synthetic diamond powders since 1990, located in the Diamond Capital of China.
- Own manufacturing base in Zhengzhou, Henan — powder, coating and grading on one site.
- In-house particle size and SEM inspection on every batch before packing.
- Export packing with neutral or custom label, plus sample quantities for process trials.
What To Include
Describe your workpiece, process and target result. We will match the diamond grade from the existing product range.