Tumbling-Media

Finishing Parts Using Vibratory Systems

Mass finishing can be best described as processes in which a number of parts are simultaneously finished. The finishing involves burnishing, deburring, cleaning, removing rust, polishing etc of the parts. The two main types of mass finishing are tumble or barrel finishing and vibratory finishing. In both types, a cyclical action is used to create a grinding action between the various surfaces. Some times, the parts are finished by rubbing against each other. But more often than not, some media is used to achieve finishing. The finishing process can be wet or dry. For a wet finishing, a liquid is used as a cleaner or abrasive. For a dry process plastic, ceramic or dry compounds are used as media. Finishing times vary with the composition of parts. For non ferrous materials, it could be just 10 minutes and for hardened steel, it could take more than 2 hours.

Mass finishing is an art while being a science because the processes involve random action. The mass finishing process could be organized as batch processes, continuous processes or sequential processes. In batch process, a batch of parts are input, worked on and pulled out; the next batch is now input and so on. In a continuous process, the parts are fed and pulled out continuously. In a sequential process, the parts are put through a sequence of processes one after the other. Normally, after every sequence, the part is in a better finished state.

Media are used in mass finishing to accomplish one of four things - cut, luster, parts separation and scrubbing of surfaces. The media could be aluminium media, preformed ceramic media, preformed resin bonded media, preformed shapes in steel, synthetic random shaped media, natural media in random shapes like rocks, cob meal, walnut shells etc. Compounds are used in mass finishing to aid in deburring, cutting, burnishing and so on.

Vibratory finishing machines are used in the vibratory finishing process. The process involves using components like water, finishing media and finishing compounds. Vibratory finishing machines are designed to produce highly smooth surfaces and can act inside deep cavities like tubes. It can be used on varied parts - for delicate parts or large surfaces, which may not be possible in a tumbling process. Loading and unloading vibratory finishing machines is easy. They also have the advantage of lesser cycle times, better cleaning and better color maintenance. These machines are easier to maintain as compared to tumblers. They can mass finish more parts and have less wear on media. Automating or semi automating them is easier compared to tumblers.

Vibrators typically do not have speed control; however, a few of them do. The usual speed is 1700 vibrations per second; for lesser speeds, the parts may sink to the bottom making the finishing process less effective. Vibratory finishing machines work at optimum level when they are between 75% and 90% full. Three parts media to every part metal can be used for delicate parts. For more aggressive finishing, parts can be used without media. http://gravcollc.com/ will provide further details.

Using Walnut Shells For A Bright Finish

Finishing media is a term used to describe material or materials that alters the appearance of a part by cutting off rough edges or deburring them. Finishing media is also used in cleaning, burnishing and polishing of parts and their surfaces. Further, they are used in anti rusting and coloring also. There are many types of finishing media like plastic finishing media, ceramic finishing media, Dry finishing media and wet and dry finishing compounds. There are machines like vibratory system, tumblers and spinning systems in which the finishing is carried out – by putting the finishing media and the parts together. The media rubs against the parts, effectively deburring them. The degree of finish can be manipulated by increasing or decreasing the speed of these machines. It can also be controlled by the type, size and shape of the media being used.

Walnut shells come under the category of dry finishing media; they are nothing but treated walnut shells. The shells are grounded to grit of varying dimensions to suit different needs (depending on the nature and weight of the part being finished). The walnut shell media can be used in cleaning and finishing applications. They are ideal for tumble finishing of metals like brass, bronze and aluminium. Walnut shell grit finds use in oil well drilling, to keep the circulation going. It is also mixed with abrasive paints used typically around swimming pools, in walkways etc where they act as anti skid agents.

Walnut shell media is made by crushing the walnut – it is hard and fibrous in nature. They are long lasting, angular and have many faces. They are mildly abrasive. The main advantage of walnut shell media is bio degradability. It is there fore environment friendly and non toxic. It can be reused many times over. It suits both tumbling and vibratory systems and reduces finishing operations time substantially. Because it is only mildly abrasive, it retains micro finishes; while removing the top layer of paints, it protects the base coating of paints.

Deburring can be defined as a finishing method typically used in manufacturing and industrial units. Metals are made into parts of different shapes and sizes by welding, molding or casting etc. The resulting pieces have jagged edges called burrs. The process of removing the burrs is called deburring. It is essential to make high quality parts that are smooth and functional while being aesthetically appealing too. Abrasive materials are normally used as deburring media. The process of deburring is applied in the wood industry, for wood pieces too. Deburring media varies in composition, shape and size depending on the part being deburred. Ceramic deburring media is used for heavy metals, synthetic or plastic media is most suited for less aggressive needs, precision media that come as small pins and spheres are used on surfaces and parts that need precise and delicate handling, natural media like corn cob and walnut shells for non abrasive deburring and finishing compounds for deburring with a good polishing effect. For further details, log on to http://gravcollc.com/

Tumbling Barrels For That Great Polish

Finishing is a term to describe the process of burnishing, cleaning, deburring and separation of parts using machines and materials called media to assist in the process. It is an important process to ensure that the parts come out with high quality in terms of a smooth fit and proper functionality apart from becoming aesthetically sound. There are primarily two types of machines used in mass finishing of parts – that is finishing of several parts together. These are tumbling or barrelling machines and vibratory machines.

Tumbling barrels are typically used for rough and tough jobs on hard metals. They are very good for deburring of heavy burrs. They are also recommended for burnishing, radius-ing of jagged edges plus breaking parts from runners. They can unction with or without using finishing media. Tumbling barrels are ideal when the loads are heavy; such loads cannot go on vibratory systems. These barrels run at optimum level when they are half filled. Barrels that have screens can be used as a plastic deflashing machine. Parts can be separated when screen doors are installed in these barrels.

There are wet and dry tumbling barrels. Wet barrel involves batch processing which means the parts are processed as batches. They are used for deburring and polishing, radius-ing, cleaning and improving the surface appearance and smoothness. Processing metals is best done in wet tumbling barrels. This equipment can be used in dry processing too, when needed. Dry barrelling is also a batch processor which is normally used to polish and deburr without liquids. Dry barrels can deflash, grind and form radii too. Compared to a wet system, these produce smoother and more uniform finish. Predominantly, wet tumbling is used in tumbling barrels. But specific cases like lack of readily available water make the dry process a more viable option.

Centrifugal barrel machines are also used in mass finishing of parts. They have gained a lot of popularity because they are the fastest finishing machines available today – about 20 times faster than a vibratory sytem’s cycle times. They are high energy machines in which the parts are placed in closed barrels. Finishing media, water and finishing compounds are added on. The barrels rotate to provide a sliding action inside which gives a uniform finish to the parts. The barrels are made of steel or a composite material and have urethane lining. They can be removed for loading and unloading purposes. Composite barrels can be used where cycle times are expected to be under an hour. For longer durations and larger machine, steel barrels are advisable.

The centrifugal barrel machines come with electronic controls that make them very simple to use. These controls include a process timer that controls the rotation times. There is an emergency stop for crisis situations. Indicator lights help in process tracking. Safety features are there to ensure that these machines cant run without covers and other locks in place. They are also typically wired for different voltage needs. For gaining more insights, http://gravcollc.com/ can be referred.

Getting a Smooth Finish Using Corn Cob Media and Vibratory Compounds

Finishing media and finishing compounds can be defined as material that are used to remove sharp edges and burrs from parts to make them smooth and provide a good finish and polish effect. There are vibrators, tumblers and spinning machines among others that are used to produce the finish. The finishing media and compounds are used in these machines for varying periods of time to give the desired finish or polish.

Corn cob media come under the dry finishing media type. It is treated corn cob that is powdered to different dimensions depending on the finish requirements. They can be used to achieve very fine finishes in the 1 Ra range and meet any requirements for a decorative finish. Corn cob media is environment friendly as it is made from the hardened cob ring and is organic in nature. It has the advantage of being capable of use as tumbling and vibratory media and can absorb oils, grease and dirt. It can be used to dry parts while keeping their surface safe. Corn cob media also finds use as a burnishing grit for soft metals like brass and bronze. The weight and type of the part to be finished determine the size of the corn grit in the corn cob media.

The corn cob media are re-usable and long lasting as they do not break down easily. They are bio degradable and organic in nature; they can be burned. They are very clean and pose no environmental threats. They can be used effectively on plastics as well as metal surfaces for giving a good finish. They are capable of absorbing water and oils and are effective cleaners. They can be used even on parts with micro finishes as the corn cob media does not harm the surfaces. They are very cost effective too.

Vibratory systems impart a cutting and finishing action by vibrating the processing tub at certain speeds which causes the media or vibratory compounds to scrub against the parts. The scrubbing action in turn removes or cuts sharp edges and provides a smooth finish on the parts. The vibratory compounds can be used in places where precise finishing is required. For instance, to remove excess material embedded in the recesses of a bore, they can be used effectively. They can also be used on large surfaces without worrying about the surface safety as they are gentle even on delicate parts. By controlling the speed of the vibratory system, it can be used on smaller or larger surfaces. BC-300X is one of the wet vibratory compounds and is used for burnishing of parts. It is acidic in nature and can be used on all metals. It is very effective with steel media. It is super effective in cleaning and imparts a corrosion inhibitor for all metals. BC-320 is a wet burnishing compound that works well in vibratory machines. It is specifically for use on aluminium metal and produces a very bright finish. For more information on finishing media, go to http://gravcollc.com/

Obtaining A Great Finish With Finishing Compounds and Plastic Media

Finishing compounds come in 2 main varieties – wet compounds and dry compounds. There products for different purposes including cleaning, rust proofing, burnishing, colouring and ferrous cutting. These compounds also come in standard packaging sizes of 5 gallons and 55 gallons. Among the wet compounds, AQUA-2000 and A-400 are used for cleaning jobs; AR-614-L and AR-620 are ear marked for anti rust jobs; the BC series like BC-300 and BC-351 are used for burnishing parts; CLC series is used in cleaning; U-620 is used as all metal cleaner and inhibitor while U-2339 is used for acidic burnishing.

Dry finishing compounds (which are in powder form) are typically used in burnishing, colouring, cleaning and cutting. BC-311 produces heavy lather and is used in tumbling barrels for burnishing all kinds of equipment. CC series is used for colouring of high energy equipment to create a bright part; they can be set on zinc and aluminium. The D series is meant for cleaning purposes - D4 is an abrasive cleaner while D7 is an alkaline metal cleaner. The FGC series is used specifically for ferrous cutting. FGC-100 is a paste mixture with soap. It acts abrasive in suspension mode and is meant to be used where dust is a concern. FGC-131 is non-abrasive and is used in removing oil and grease from oily parts. The NFC series is used in non-ferrous cutting; they are mildly abrasive and alkaline in nature and can be used with any media type.

Plastic deburring media for use in finishing metals are available. The plastic media are used for faster cutting and fine finishing. The media are of high quality and are long lasting too. With a vast experience in the metal finishing industry a company can boast of being able to find a solution for any type of finishing requirements. Plastic media come in different shapes and varying sizes. Shapes include cones, TET – 3 sides, pyramids, stars, triangles, wedges and diamond shaped pyramids. Sizes range from tiny to more than 2 inches in height. The main types are standard plastic media and speciality synthetic plastic deburring media. They come in packaging sizes having 50 numbers each.

The Lusterwhite series are good for very low Ra finishes and provide excellent wearing. For good wear and pre plate finish on all metals, Superbrite series is used. Gravilon series provides excellent wear and pre plate finish; they have variants and come with and without zircon. Gravilite is used for fast cutting needs. Gravilox is used for fast cutting and matt finishing. For very fine, fast cutting and fine finishes on exclusive metals, the speciality synthetic plastic media is used. For further information on finishing media and compounds, log on to http://gravcollc.com/

Manufacturer of Tumbling Media

David Scheetz is principal owner and CEO and Robert Summey is Sales manager. These two together bring over fifty years of metal finishing experience to Grav Co LLC.

Grav Co LLC manufactures the finest mass finishing equipment and supplies in the marketplace. We build Torex vibratory finishing machines, deburring machines, Grav-i-Flo disc finishing, high speed and low speed barrel finishing, tumbling barrels, centrifugal barrel machines and spin finishing equipment in our Sturgis, Michigan plant. We also manufacture vibratory finishing media, corn cob media, plastic deburring media, walnut shell media, and various liquid and tumbling compounds, and have a very good line of ceramic finishing media.

The trade name Grav-i-Flo has been synonymous with quality finishing equipment and supplies for over sixty years.  We are able to provide you a quote on standard equipment, and supplies in one day or less. We ship most supply orders in one to two days. We are a world class supplier of finishing equipment and supplies.

New Products

A new product line currently on the drawing board is standard parts washers. We are building a cellular style belt and rotary drum washers. If you have a parts washer project currently that you think a simple belt or drum washer will suffice, we build a very good washer at a very competitive price. Try us, I think you will like the products and our team. Let us help you resolve your finishing needs.