The controlled sequence of abrasive and polishing operations used to produce a required glass-surface geometry, roughness, clarity, or optical appearance.
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Meaning and boundaries
Surface finishing is an umbrella process, not one polishing step, and it does not inherently restore original strength, eliminate all subsurface damage, or recreate a removed functional coating.
Why it matters in glass restoration
The term connects grinding, intermediate refinement, and final polishing while keeping each stage's purpose and acceptance result distinct.
Related terms
References
- NASA — Handbook for Recommended Material Removal Processes for Advanced Ceramic Test Specimens and Components
Publisher’s original source - National Bureau of Standards / NIST — The Science of Ceramic Machining and Surface Finishing II
Publisher’s original source - Optica Publishing Group — The Role of Cerium Oxide in Glass Polishing
Publisher’s original source - SPIE / Optical Engineering — Material removal mechanism of ceria particles with different sizes in glass polishing
Publisher’s original source