What will be decisive for the further existence of single wheel lapping machines?

The increasing requests for dimensional tolerances, flatness, and roughness are still being a success by the single wheel machine techniques and hardly replace any other technique.

An important increase in quality was obtain by using so-called “high precision tools” such as diamond grit, vehicles, special working wheels (multi-metal), and polishing coatings. Without the lapping and polishing technique, CD/DVD and high-tech applications such as data systems, mobiles, space travel a.s.o. (picture 3) would hardly exist.

The possibilities of the lapping and polishing techniques are not exhausted yet; it is quite often due to lacking development in material techniques that qualities in the nano or angstrom range can’t be obtained without problems.