An efficient and effective way to finish parts

The deburring of machined or die cast metal or plastic parts can be a time-consuming and expensive process, depending on the method chosen. Manual or mechanical deburring, electrochemical deburring and cryogenic deburring are all effective methods; however, they almost never result in the complete deburring of the workpiece. Burrs are often missed or not completely removed, or they are located in areas that are inaccessible to the deburring device. But there is a more effective way: thermal deburring.

A faster, more efficient approach

Thermal deburring offers the complete deburring of parts and components in a fraction of the time that other methods require. And, unlike some other methods, the thermal deburr process can be applied to multiple workpieces at the same time, making it a faster and more efficient finishing method.

How does it work? Thermal deburring uses a brief blast of extreme heat to completely remove burrs. The workpiece is placed in a closed, sealed chamber filled with a precise mixture of combustible gas and oxygen. This mixture is ignited, creating a small, controlled explosion with combustion temperatures as high as 3,500 degrees C. While it lasts only a few milliseconds, this discharge of heat is sufficient to raise the temperature of the burrs on the workpiece past their ignition point. As the chamber fills with the oxygen-and-fuel mixture, every surface of the part being processed is surrounded by the combustible gases. Therefore, even the smallest drill holes and other otherwise inaccessible areas of the workpiece are effectively treated by the thermal deburring process. The whole surface of the part is blasted by the heat of the controlled explosion, leaving no burrs behind.

Because the mass of the bulk of the workpiece is far greater than that of the burrs, the processed part does not reach its ignition point, and there is ill effect from the heat.

Additional advantages

Since no mechanical implements are used in thermal deburring, it is perhaps the best possible finishing method for parts and components where surface quality and other esthetic factors are important. The surface of the workpiece is not contacted by any hard or sharp tools, eliminating the possibility of scratches or other damage.

Thermal deburring is a finishing method used by the experts at Vibra Finish, a leading provider of vibratory finishing machinery and services. To learn more about the benefits of thermal deburring, contact Vibra Finish.

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