Polishing is a particle removal machining process, used to improve the appearance of a workpiece, to remove oxidation, to create a reflective surface, to reduce friction on pipe walls, in medicine to prevent contamination of instruments. In metallography and metallurgy, polishing is used to create a flat surface without defects (defects) to examine the microstructure of the metal under a microscope. Polishing is the finishing of smoothing the surface of the workpiece with the help of abrasives and lamella reel tools.
Grinding, in mechanical engineering, is the shaping of a material by the separation of particles, which achieves smooth surfaces (metals, wood), accurate measurements or the required shape (sharpening tools, grinding glass, grinding diamonds and precious stones). A very smooth and shiny surface is created by polishing. Grinding is performed with a grinding tool or grinding wheel, which consists of a plurality of geometrically undefined blades and spikes of crystalline abrasive grains, connected by a suitable binder (for example a silicate binder, a resin binder) into a compact whole.