Part finishing plays a critical role in many manufacturing processes. Whether the goal is to remove burrs, improve surface finish, prepare parts for subsequent operations, or make finishing tasks safer, selecting the right equipment can have a significant impact on product quality, productivity, and overall operating costs.
Montfort International offers a complete range of tribofinishing solutions, abrasive media, compounds, and safe sanding tools designed to help manufacturers optimize their finishing processes while achieving consistent, repeatable, and cost-effective results.
Inspired by the natural wear and polishing processes found in nature, tribofinishing is an industrial surface finishing process used to improve the surface condition of metal, plastic, and other manufactured parts. Also known as vibratory finishing, vibroabrasion, or tumbling, the process consists of placing parts into a vibrating mixture of abrasive media, water, and compounds to modify their surface finish. As the parts and media move together, controlled friction deburrs, smooths, polishes, or cleans the surfaces in a uniform and repeatable manner.
Used across a wide range of manufacturing industries, tribofinishing delivers consistent results while significantly reducing the time required for manual finishing operations. Depending on the equipment, media, and process parameters selected, it can be used for deburring, polishing, superfinishing, cleaning, or surface preparation prior to painting or plating.
Industrial finishing requirements vary considerably from one manufacturer to another. Some shops process only a few parts at a time, while others must finish hundreds or even thousands of components on a regular basis.
That is why Montfort International offers a complete range of tribofinishing equipment, including compact vibratory machines, larger-capacity vibratory finishing systems, and the consumables required to optimize every finishing process. Our product offering includes LESTHER and Hammond Roto-Finish equipment, two trusted brands recognized for the reliability and efficiency of their vibratory finishing solutions.
LESTHER vibratory finishing machines are especially popular among machine shops and small to medium-sized manufacturers looking for a compact, quiet, and cost-effective solution. Their small footprint makes them easy to integrate into existing production environments while delivering excellent finishing performance.
For manufacturers with higher production volumes or more specialized applications, Hammond Roto-Finish equipment offers a broad range of finishing systems capable of processing various batch sizes while achieving surface finishes that meet the most demanding specifications.
Whatever the size of your business or your industry, our team can help you select the right equipment, abrasive media, and process parameters to achieve the desired surface finish while maximizing productivity.
Example of a tribofinishing process using a LESTHER 2016vibratory finishing machine, abrasive media, and a fluid filtration system that helps maintain process quality while extending fluid service life.
Tribofinishing is used for much more than simply polishing parts. Depending on the desired results, it can remove burrs, soften sharp edges, improve surface appearance, or prepare components for subsequent finishing operations. Today, manufacturers rely on tribofinishing to reduce manual finishing time while achieving more consistent and repeatable results.
Typical applications include:
Because of the nature of the process, multiple parts can be finished simultaneously with a high level of repeatability, helping reduce labour costs while improving production consistency.
The performance of a tribofinishing process depends on much more than the finishing machine itself. Abrasive media and compounds play an equally important role in achieving the desired results. The same equipment can produce very different finishes depending on the consumables selected, process parameters, and the characteristics of the workpieces being processed.
Compounds work alongside abrasive media to improve overall process efficiency. They help clean parts, control chemical reactions, provide corrosion protection, and promote a consistent, uniform surface finish. Selecting the proper compound often improves finishing quality while extending the service life of the abrasive media.
Our specialists can help you select the abrasive media and compounds best suited to your materials, finishing objectives, and production requirements.
In many machine shops and manufacturing facilities, sanding, polishing, and deburring operations on lathes are still performed manually using abrasive belts held directly by the operator. Although this method remains common, it presents several risks due to the operator's hands being in close proximity to the rotating workpiece and the direct handling of abrasive materials.
Beyond the safety concerns, manual sanding can also lead to inconsistent finishing results from one operator to another. Applied pressure, contact angle, and movement stability all directly influence the final surface finish, making it more difficult to achieve repeatable results and often increasing the time required for rework.
Today, manufacturers, machine shops, technical training centres, and government organizations are looking for solutions that simultaneously improve operator safety, finishing consistency, and productivity. It was precisely to address these challenges that PRISMONT's lathe sanding tools were developed.
To improve both safety and productivity during lathe finishing operations, PRISMONT developed a complete range of sanding and polishing tools that securely hold abrasive belts directly on conventional lathes. These devices replace traditional manual sanding methods, where the operator holds the abrasive belt directly against a rotating workpiece, a practice that is still common in many machine shops.
Designed and manufactured in Canada, PRISMONT tools are now used by manufacturers, machine shops, technical training centres, government organizations, and industrial companies around the world. Recognized for their durability and ease of use, they improve operator safety while delivering more uniform and repeatable finishing results.
Among the most popular models are the MST-SBH for external sanding and the MST-IPA for internal polishing. Mounted directly onto existing lathe tool posts, these tools allow operators to perform sanding, polishing, finishing, and deburring operations with better control over applied pressure and greater consistency.
Because these are the original products designed and manufactured in Canada, users benefit from a proven solution that has inspired many similar products now available on the market. For companies looking for a reliable, durable solution designed specifically for industrial environments, choosing the original is often the best investment.
To meet different finishing requirements, PRISMONT offers two complementary tools. The MST-SBH is designed for finishing the external surfaces of rotating workpieces, while the MST-IPA is intended for polishing and finishing the inside of tubes, rings, and other hollow components.
The MST-SBH Lathe Sanding Belt Holder is designed for sanding, polishing, finishing, and deburring the external surfaces of machined parts. It allows stable, uniform finishing on rotating workpieces while maintaining excellent control over the pressure applied to the part.
Available in multiple sizes, the MST-SBH accommodates a wide range of workpiece diameters and operating conditions. The standard model provides safe manual operation, while the MST-SBH(A) version incorporates a belt clutch control system that offers improved rotational control during finishing operations.
The MST-IPA Inside Polishing Attachment is specifically designed for polishing, light grinding, sanding, and deburring the inside of hollow parts such as tubes.
Its design allows operators to reach difficult internal areas while maintaining a high level of precision and safety. Available in multiple lengths, diameters, and power configurations, the MST-IPA adapts to a wide variety of industrial applications, from production shops to technical training facilities.
SBH – External Lathe Sanding
Provides uniform surface finishing with consistent pressure directly on rotating workpieces.
IPA – Internal Tube Polishing
Designed to reach difficult internal surfaces while delivering precise, consistent finishing inside hollow parts.
Depending on part geometry and the required finish, the MST-SBH and MST-IPA replace traditional manual methods with solutions that are safer, more consistent, and better suited to modern industrial manufacturing environments.
One of the major advantages of PRISMONT finishing tools is their ease of integration. Unlike many specialized solutions that require extensive machine modifications or additional equipment, the MST-SBH and MST-IPA are designed to mount directly onto existing lathes. This approach makes it easy to adopt safer finishing methods while minimizing implementation costs and production downtime.
Abrasive belts and accessories can be changed quickly, and the tools can easily accommodate different workpiece diameters depending on the model. This flexibility allows machine shops to use the same tool across multiple applications while maintaining excellent process control and repeatability.
Whether you are looking for a compact tribofinishing system to improve part surface quality, a high-capacity vibratory finishing system for larger production volumes, specialized abrasive media, or safer tools for sanding and polishing operations on lathes, the Montfort International team can help you select the solution best suited to your application.
Backed by our technical expertise, carefully selected equipment, and personalized support, we help manufacturers improve part quality, increase productivity, and achieve consistent, safe, and repeatable finishing results.
