Polishing & Paint Correction2 min read

Compound Trial Timing: Separate Machine-On Time from Finished-Panel Time

Machine-on time answers how long the polisher ran. Finished-panel time answers how long it took to deliver an inspected, acceptable surface.

Updated · NANOLAB Knowledge

Machine-on time answers how long the polisher ran. Finished-panel time answers how long it took to deliver an inspected, acceptable surface. Both are useful, but they should not be substituted for one another in compound comparisons.

Define the start and finish

For a cutting-rate trial, start timing at the agreed machine operation and stop at the defined cycle end. For a workshop productivity trial, include the tasks required to deliver the accepted panel: loading, pad maintenance, residue removal, refinement and inspection.

Record preparation separately if it is identical and outside the comparison. If one process requires additional preparation, it belongs in the total decision rather than being hidden outside the stopwatch boundary.

Use a simple time ledger

| Activity | Illustrative minutes |
| — | — |
| Compounding machine time | 7 |
| Pad cleaning and changes | 3 |
| Residue removal | 2 |
| Fine polishing | 6 |
| Final inspection | 2 |
| Total accepted process | 20 |

The numbers are hypothetical. They show why a seven-minute cutting claim does not describe a twenty-minute finished process. A competing system with nine minutes of machine time may still be faster overall if it needs less recovery work.

Avoid misleading averages

Separate delays unrelated to the product, but state how they were handled. Do not remove only the inconvenient cleanup or rework events. When starting defects differ, report the tasks separately instead of presenting a false direct ranking.

Repeat comparisons on suitable matched areas when a small difference could reflect operator variability. Do not claim a meaningful productivity advantage from one run that differs by a few seconds while its inspection and pad condition were uncontrolled.

Use both timings in purchasing and training decisions. Machine-on time helps diagnose the cutting stage; total accepted time supports capacity and cost planning. The useful metric depends on the question, and the report should make that question explicit.

For current NANOLAB product instructions and compatibility, visit product documentation or contact the technical team.