The main difference between the lapping and polishing processes is obvious in glass lens manufacturing. Lapping produces a rough surface processed with coarse abrasives and a hard plate tool, while polishing produces a mirror-like surface processed with fine particle abrasives and soft pads.

Is lapping a finishing process?

Define Lapping: The term "lapping" is used to describe a number of various surface finishing operations where loose abrasive powders are used as the grinding agent at normally low speeds. It is a process reserved for products that demand very tight tolerances of flatness, parallelism, thickness or finish.

Is lapping the same as grinding?

Lapping, though it is an abrasive process, differs from grinding or honing because it uses a ”loose" abrasive instead of bonded abrasives like grinding wheels. ... These vehicles hold the abrasive in suspension before and during use. The paste abrasives are generally used in hand-lapping operations.