Vibra Finish’s tips on choosing abrasive media for deburring machines

There are several types of abrasive media available.

Mass finishing of metal parts is one of Vibra Finish’s specialties. One machine commonly used is a vibratory deburring machine, or vibratory tumbler, in which abrasive media helps to deburr, clean or polish items. The user puts the media and parts into a large drum, which vibrates and drives down the contents in a circular motion; friction with the media deburrs, cleans, and polishes the parts. Vibra Finish can help customers pick the right tumbling media for every application.

Various types, shapes, and sizes

There are several types of abrasive media. The type, shape, and size depend on the kind of deburring, cleaning, or polishing the user wants. Various shapes are available for different functions, including stars, pyramids, cones, wedges, spheres, cylinders, and ovals. Size and shape also depend on holes or slots in the parts; media should be at least 70 per cent the size of the hole or slot to prevent its lodging inside parts. Smaller media results in better finishing, although larger media is quicker.

Vibra Finish offers mass finishing with the following kinds of abrasive media:

• Steel media. Recommended for heavy deburring or for shining, polishing, and burnishing metal, plastic, or ceramic parts. A second polishing step is often necessary for plastics, which have high abrasion resistance, which leads to a matte finish following deburring.
• Ceramic or graded stone media. For light and heavy deburring and when fast deburring is required. Works well for hard, heavy metals, rust removal, and general-purpose polishing. A popular choice for plastic, steel, stainless steel, and aluminum parts.
• Plastics media. For general metal deburring, precision deburring, polishing,or burnishing. Recommended for aluminum, brass, and other softer metals and for threaded parts.
• Organic media. Includes walnut or coconut shells and corn cobs. Organic media is natural, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, durable, and reusable.
• Wet tumbling compounds. For cleaning, enhanced deburring, or corrosion and rust protection. Must be mixed with solid media for deburring, finishing, and polishing.

Choosing the correct media for the individual deburring process is the secret of getting great mass finishing.

For more information, contact Vibra Finish.

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