b'Products and tools help perfect engine finishing for the automotive industry.By Heidi BethelW iththemanycomplicated components in an automo-tive system, one tiny burr, mis-placed fit, chip, ding or uneven finish can wreak havoc and affect the performance of the entire en-gine. The industry looks for per-fection down to the micromillime-ter, and thats where technology for finishing comes in. Products exist to tackle various aspects of auto-motive finishing, including Norton Finium, Orbitool and DeBurr-Z.Knock Down the PeaksWhen it comes to surface con-dition, smoothness really matters. R , or the arithmetic average of sur-aface heights measured across a surface, gives a snapshot of the mi-croscopic peaks and valleys on any given part.Whenyouretalkingabout bearing surfaces on a crankshaft or camshaft, even at a fine Rthere ais wear on the shaft and bearings, said David Goetz, senior applica-tion engineer at Norton | Saint-Gobain Abrasives in Worcester, Massachusetts. Although it may be slight, all that metal ends up in the engine.Norton Finium microfinishing films use a proprietary resin system to hold grains in place for finish-ing in automotive engine applica-tions. The film-backed ultrafine grit DeBurr-Z follows the outer contours of the component with an adjustable force accommodating the type of material and the desired edge break.Tapmatic24DECEMBER 2022Finishing.indd 24 11/15/22 2:29 PM'