Patent ID: 7134939

Claim:
A method of conditioning a metal working surface of a load-bearing mechanical part, so as to produce a metal, load-bearing working surface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a system including: (i) a metal workpiece having the metal working surface; (ii) a contact surface, disposed generally opposite said working surface, (iii) a plurality of abrasive particles, said particles freely disposed between said contact surface and said working surface; (b) exerting a load on said contact surface and said working surface, such that at least a portion of said abrasive particles are in contact both with said contact surface and said working surface, and (c) lapping said workpiece by applying a relative motion between said working surface and said contact surface, said contact surface including at least one elastic, polymeric material, said polymeric material and said abrasive particles being selected so as to (i) effect an at least partially elastic interaction between said contact surface and said abrasive particles, such that at least a portion of said abrasive particles penetrate said working surfaces and embed at least a portion of said abrasive particles in said contact surface, so as to produce the metal, load-bearing working surface.