Shanghai Bursten Industrial Co, Ltd.
What does a "Plateau Hone" mean anyway?
2026-05-11
One of Shanghai Bursten's distributors has a very good, although slightly controversial, article written about Plateau Honing.
In the article they discuss the differences between a Hone tool Tool and an abrasive nylon tool. As a manufacturer of both products Shanghai Bursten believes that each tool has its place in the deburring, finishing, and honing world.
First, though, we need to look at what the word "honing" really means. Honing is a metal removal process that affects bore diameter and cylinder geometry. Typically, when someone is referring to a "honed" surface, they are talking about a bore that has been sized with a rigid hone, such as one from a Sunnen machine. This leaves a finish that is to size with the beginning of a proper surface finish.
This is where the Hone tool comes in. The Hone tool is then used to further refine the surface finish. While not a material removal tool in the typical sense of the word, the Hone tool removes only the peaks and rough, torn and folded metal left by the honing process. BRM coined the term "plateau" finish to describe this finish.
A plateau finish is so named as it is the surface profile that resembles a series of plateaus-the harsh peaks of a surface are removed leaving a substantially flat or plateau finish with much greater bearing area, while maintaining a cross hatch pattern of valleys for oil retention.
While this is all well and good where does an abrasive nylon tool come into play?
An abrasive nylon tool, for background, is a twisted in wire abrasive nylon brush. Abrasive nylon is made by adding abrasive to regular nylon when the filament is extruded. Abrasive nylon allows for more aggressive finishing than a regular nylon brush without abrasive, but is much less aggressive than a steel brush.
An abrasive nylon brush produces a different surface than a Hone tool. They are not at all interchangeable for all applications. Here are the main differences:
1. Deburring- A Hone tool is a much more efficient deburring tool as it has more abrasive than an abrasive nylon brush. Virtually 95% of the Hone tool ball is abrasive while only 20% to 30% of the abrasive nylon brush is abrasive. The rest of the abrasive nylon brush is plastic and care should be taken to make sure it is not transferred to the cylinder walls.
2. Surface Finishing- As mentioned above, the Hone tool actually cuts the peaks of the folded and torn metal, where an abrasive nylon brush will smooth these bits of metal, creating rounded surfaces or a “round comb” effect and not exposing the substructure underneath the folded and torn metal. We will get into Ra and surface roughness readings at a later time, but just know that not all "smoothness’s" are created equal.
3. Bore type- We do not recommend a Hone tool tool for a threaded bore as it could potentially take the bit out of the high points in a thread, while at the same time, not get down to the bottom of a fine thread. The abrasive nylon tool, on the other hand, is able to gently deburr the part and get to the bottom of the threads. It does a good job of removing burrs and fuzz from the peaks while cleaning and polishing the flank angles.
Essentially, while many of our competitors call their abrasive nylon brushes by many names, like "Ultra Finishing Hone" , “Soft Hone” or “Plateau Brush”, it is essential for customers to really understand what each of these tools do that is unique to them. We have been doing this a long time and really understand that different applications have different needs. That is why we make both abrasive nylon tools and the Hone tool tool.
But for true plateau finish honing there is only one right choice- The Hone tool.
In the article they discuss the differences between a Hone tool Tool and an abrasive nylon tool. As a manufacturer of both products Shanghai Bursten believes that each tool has its place in the deburring, finishing, and honing world.
First, though, we need to look at what the word "honing" really means. Honing is a metal removal process that affects bore diameter and cylinder geometry. Typically, when someone is referring to a "honed" surface, they are talking about a bore that has been sized with a rigid hone, such as one from a Sunnen machine. This leaves a finish that is to size with the beginning of a proper surface finish.
This is where the Hone tool comes in. The Hone tool is then used to further refine the surface finish. While not a material removal tool in the typical sense of the word, the Hone tool removes only the peaks and rough, torn and folded metal left by the honing process. BRM coined the term "plateau" finish to describe this finish.
A plateau finish is so named as it is the surface profile that resembles a series of plateaus-the harsh peaks of a surface are removed leaving a substantially flat or plateau finish with much greater bearing area, while maintaining a cross hatch pattern of valleys for oil retention.
While this is all well and good where does an abrasive nylon tool come into play?
An abrasive nylon tool, for background, is a twisted in wire abrasive nylon brush. Abrasive nylon is made by adding abrasive to regular nylon when the filament is extruded. Abrasive nylon allows for more aggressive finishing than a regular nylon brush without abrasive, but is much less aggressive than a steel brush.
An abrasive nylon brush produces a different surface than a Hone tool. They are not at all interchangeable for all applications. Here are the main differences:
1. Deburring- A Hone tool is a much more efficient deburring tool as it has more abrasive than an abrasive nylon brush. Virtually 95% of the Hone tool ball is abrasive while only 20% to 30% of the abrasive nylon brush is abrasive. The rest of the abrasive nylon brush is plastic and care should be taken to make sure it is not transferred to the cylinder walls.
2. Surface Finishing- As mentioned above, the Hone tool actually cuts the peaks of the folded and torn metal, where an abrasive nylon brush will smooth these bits of metal, creating rounded surfaces or a “round comb” effect and not exposing the substructure underneath the folded and torn metal. We will get into Ra and surface roughness readings at a later time, but just know that not all "smoothness’s" are created equal.
3. Bore type- We do not recommend a Hone tool tool for a threaded bore as it could potentially take the bit out of the high points in a thread, while at the same time, not get down to the bottom of a fine thread. The abrasive nylon tool, on the other hand, is able to gently deburr the part and get to the bottom of the threads. It does a good job of removing burrs and fuzz from the peaks while cleaning and polishing the flank angles.
Essentially, while many of our competitors call their abrasive nylon brushes by many names, like "Ultra Finishing Hone" , “Soft Hone” or “Plateau Brush”, it is essential for customers to really understand what each of these tools do that is unique to them. We have been doing this a long time and really understand that different applications have different needs. That is why we make both abrasive nylon tools and the Hone tool tool.
But for true plateau finish honing there is only one right choice- The Hone tool.
Looking for more technical information on Plateau Honing? Shanghai Bursten's technical literature is always available on our website.
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Address:Building 1, No 115, Lane 1276, Nanle Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201611, China
Tel：008613781822862
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