Tumbling-Media

Go For A Smooth Finish With Finishing Compounds

Finishing is a term used to define the process of cleaning, polishing, deburring, coloring, separating and smoothing of parts or components, generally metals. Finishing compounds are compounds used in the process of finishing - they are defined as substances or materials that are used to give surface properties like softness, smoothness, flexibility, resistance to fire, resistance to corrosion, resistance to rusting and so on - to metal parts, wood, textile, leather etc. It is possible to impart a high quality to a finished product with finishing compounds so that the product comes out with the correct functionality, fit and aesthetics.

Mass finishing compounds are used to finish several parts together using machines like tumbling barrels or vibratory systems. The compounds are used to aid in deburring, descaling, polishing of ferrous and non ferrous materials etc. The typical mass finishing process involves putting the parts together with finishing media, water and finishing compounds into a barrel or vibratory machine and allowing them to vibrate or tumble together. As a result, the parts rub against each other or with the finishing media; the rough edges are smoothed out, debris and deposits are cleaned out and specific surface properties are imparted to the parts.

The finishing compounds can be used in closed loop and open loop finishing processes, which involves automatic or manual feeding of finishing media and compounds respectively. There are compounds that are made for wet use and those made for dry use. Compounds are also available for specific use with tumbling systems and those that work well with vibratory systems. There are some special properties given to the finishing compounds when they are manufactured. For example, deburring compounds are made to keep the deburring debris suspended during the finishing process to ensure that there is no re depositing. This way the surfaces are continuously kept ready to accept the abrasive action. Descaling compounds have properties needed to remove scales and assist the finishing media in descaling. Compounds used for polishing are made to provide conditioning to water, detergency, impart rinseability and brightening plus suspension properties to make sure that the debris is kept at bay.

Finishing media are used in the finishing process to clean, polish and deburr. Corn cob media comes under the head of dry finishing media. It is made from treating and powdering of corn cobs to provide abrasive action on parts being finished. As they are made from natural products, corn cob media is bio degradable and environment friendly. It is long lasting and reusable; it is also cost effective. It can be used in both vibratory and tumbling systems. The grit size of the corn cob media is determined by the finishing requirement – it varies depending on whether the finishing process needs to be gentle or rough, the nature of the surface being deburred etc. The corn cob media has very good absorbing properties and can absorb both water and oily substances with ease; proves very effective in degreasing and cleaning parts. To gain further insights into finishing products, log on to http://gravcollc.com/

Finishing Parts Becomes Easy With Tumbling Media And Compounds

Tumbling media are materials that are used in the finishing process. They are loaded with parts to be finished into finishing machines, with or without tumbling compounds. They help in cleaning, smoothing and deburring of parts. Tumbling media can be man made or natural. Man made media include plastic media, synthetic media and ceramic media which come in preformed shapes. Natural media include walnut shell media and corn cob media. Tumbling media are used in finishing machines like tumbling barrels, vibratory machines and centrifugal machines.

Plastic media are otherwise known as tumbling stones. They come in shapes like cones, pyramids and triangles and have varying abrasive properties. They create smooth but dull finishes on surfaces and because of their light weight are suited for use on parts that might get damaged easily. They are safe on threaded parts and can be used on parts as a pre cursor to anodizing. The cone shaped plastic media act well on parts with holes and triangle shape acts well on edges and flat surfaces. Multiple shapes can be used on parts with complex designs.

Ceramic tumbling media are made of silica, minerals and abrasives mixed in different proportions and processed at high temperatures to produce hardened shapes. They are good for aggressive finishing needs and work well with hard metal parts. They suit usage with heavy loads that cannot be handled by plastics; they also come in smaller sizes and hence are suited for smaller parts. Synthetic tumbling media also come in different shapes; they weigh lesser compared to ceramic media. They are cost effective and are good to provide ultra smooth finishes. Compared to plastic media, they take more wear and tear and residue left from processing is lesser. They are ideal for use in high energy machines like centrifugal barrels.

Tumbling compounds are chemicals used to increase the effectiveness of media by ensuring that glaze is not formed on the parts during the finishing process. They act as abrasive agents and help in maintaining a nice color to the metal parts. They impart anti rust and anti corrosion properties to the parts when the right agents are added to them; they are effective cleaning agents and help in deburring by suspending debris and preventing them from getting re-deposited on the parts. The compounds are either alkaline or acidic in nature depending on the media they are used with.

The flow rate of the tumbling compounds should be matched with the volume of media being used for a good finish. Tumbling compounds are known to help in degreasing, descaling and removing grime. They help in lubrication of parts to protect them. They help in grinding, polishing and brightening of surfaces. They help to finish delicate parts by providing a cushioning effect and preventing damage to the parts. Acidic tumbling compounds enhance cutting speeds and bleaching efficiency. When used in proper combination with finishing media, tumbling compounds help to reduce cycle times substantially. To learn about the advantages of tumbling media and tumbling compounds, go to http://gravcollc.com/