Deburring Equipment Industry Information

During the manufacturing process, machined, stamped, forged and extruded parts acquire "burrs". Burrs occur as protrusions and imperfections on the surface of metal, plastic and wood parts where there are raised seams from forging or machining. These imperfections can be a safety hazard to workers handling parts, and they also may hinder the accuracy and function of the part. To eliminate rough edges, protrusions and other burrs, manufacturers of parts use deburring equipment to deburr parts, making them smooth, accurate, and functional. This deburring process is often a final step in parts manufacturing, called the "finishing" process. There are many different types of deburring machinery, and each is designed to finish metal, wood and plastic parts in a specific way. Polishing equipment, deburring machines, tumblers and vibratory finishing equipment are all types of deburring equipment which are used to deburr, burnish, polish, smooth or protectively coat and color a wide variety of parts. Tumbling and deburring media are small steel, ceramic, plastic or organic shapes which are used in vibratory finishing machines to deburr, polish and burnish unfinished parts.

Vibratory finishing is one of the most common ways small metal and plastic parts are deburred and polished, a process also known as "mass finishing". Vibratory tumblers are large, drum-like enclosures in which tumbling and deburring media are placed along with unfinished parts. The media, which can be spheres, cylinders, pyramids or other shapes made from metal, ceramic or plastic, vibrate inside the drum in a cyclonic downward motion, rubbing against unfinished parts and smoothing away burrs and surface imperfections. Organic media, such as walnut shells, coconut shells or corn cob meal, are sometimes used in tumblers and vibratory finishing equipment to smooth and polish; organic media also absorbs oils and dirt on the surface of unfinished parts, and is therefore a very effective cleaning agent as well.

Large unfinished parts which cannot be mass finished require a different type of deburring machinery, often an automated deburring cabinet or benchtop machine which uses various wheels, belts and abrasives to smooth burrs and polish rough edges. Lathes are sometimes designed to deburr or polish parts. Some automated finishing equipment uses robotic technology to precisely deburr and polish larger parts, such as gears. Vibratory finishers for mass finishing are often manufactured as combos which contain multiple vibrating media sections and conveyor systems, allowing parts to be deburred, cleaned, coated and sorted all in one machine. Wet tumbling media is sometimes added in the finishing process as a protective coating or coloring agent; wet media can be used in both vibratory finishing equipment and non-vibratory equipment.

Polishing equipment is used to finish parts which need to have exceptionally smooth surfaces and even protective coatings. Tumblers and vibratory finishers are sometimes used as polishing equipment, although larger parts polishing often requires automated machines, flat surface finishers, abrasive belts, polishing lathes or cylindrical finishing equipment. These types of polishing equipment use nylon abrasive filament brushes, cloth or rubber wheels with abrasive compounds and buffing compounds to polish and finish large parts. Buffing and polishing is important for food industry products and many consumer items such as tile, marble countertops and kitchen utensils. Parts manufacturers across many industries usually use deburring machinery of one kind or another to deburr fasteners, machined parts, tubes and forgings. Hobbyists also use vibratory tumblers and polishing lathes to finish or clean metal parts on a smaller scale.

Deburring Equipment and Custom Finishing Deburring Machines Image Provided by A.E. Aubin Company	Deburring Equipment and Custom Finishing Deburring Machines Image Provided by Giant Finishing, Inc.