Tumbling-Media

manufacture of the finest mass finishing equipment and supplies in the marketplace.

Great Finish Made Possible With Ceramic Media and Centifugal Barrels

Ceramic media are materials used in the finishing process to aid in deburring, polishing, separating and cleaning of parts. They can be used for light as well as heavy deburring, fast deburring and rough metal removal. They are best suited for hard metals heavy cutting requirements. When small sized media are needed (around three fourth of an inch size), ceramic media has the best options. They can be used even for very heavy metal parts effectively. They are made out in different shapes like angle cut cylinders and triangles, cones, straight cut triangles, cylindrical wedges and angle cut tristars and ellipses.

Ceramic media are long lasting, cheap and can be put to multiple uses. They are manufactured in a variety of shapes that are precise and which prove very useful in preventing lodging problems and also in separating parts. They are made primarily with silica. Other materials in the manufacture of ceramic media include minerals and abrasives. Silica, minerals and abrasives are combined in different proportions and treated at a high temperature to produce a very hard product that is as strong as a cement product.

Ceramic media of varying density is used for different purposes. Where a rough finishing is needed (fast cutting and rough surfaces), higher density ceramic media is used. For smoother finishing, lesser density ceramic media is ideal. Higher the proportion of the abrasive material used in the manufacture of ceramic media, higher is the density. Higher the density, quicker is the wear and tear. There fore, higher density ceramic media should be considered only for special cases and when there is a need for cycle time reduction. To aid in special finishing requirements, the ceramic media can be tailored by changing the type and amount of abrasive grain used.

The fastest available option for mass finishing of parts is the centrifugal barrel machines. Their cycle times are 20 times faster compared to vibratory finishing machines. The centrifugal barrel machines have large barrels for loading parts, media and finishing compounds. They are high energy machines. In a typical centrifugal machine, there is a turret at the centre. A set of barrels are placed around the turret. When the turret starts rotating in one direction, they set the barrels rotating in the other direction. Thus a high energy sliding action is produced inside the barrels, imparting a uniform finish to the parts. Barrels are normally made of steel; sometimes they are made from composite materials too. They have polyurethane lining and can be removed during the loading and unloading process. Steel barrels are meant for cycle times exceeding one hour; for cycle times less than an hour, composite barrels are ideal.

Centrifugal barrel machines come with process timers that can be set for specific finishing jobs. There is an emergency stop switch that can be used in crisis scenario. Indicator lights and safety locks are generally provided to ensure control and safety. Wiring can be done for different electrical voltage settings. To explore options in centrifugal barrel machines and ceramic media, visit http://gravcollc.com/

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago at 7:55 pm.

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Good Finish For Parts With Deburring Machines And Media

Deburring is the process of removing jagged edges or protrusions from parts, mostly wooden and metal parts. Deburring machines are used to accomplish the process of deburring. Primarily two types of deburring machines are used – tumbling or barrel machines and vibratory machines. Tumblers are used for mass finishing of parts. They can be used for wet as well as dry finishing. These systems are well suited for fast and efficient deburring of plastic and metal parts or components. There are models that are available in different sizes from compact bench models to big barrels that can be fixed on floors. Tumbling systems are very important deburring systems in use. They are typically used where heavy deburring is required. Barrels are ideal for heavy loads. Dry tumbling is used when delicate deburring is called for and produces a smooth finish. Wet barrelling is used for metal processing to remove excess material as well as to provide a polish.

Vibratory deburring machines are also used for mass finishing. They function by shaking or vibrating the processing vessel, which causes the finishing media and parts to scrape against each other thus accomplishing a deburr and producing a polish. These deburing machines are precise and can deburr even recesses in the parts and hence they are very well adapted for delicate and intricate components. They can also be used on large surfaces because they have very short strokes and high speeds. These machines can be automated quite easily compared to tumblers.

Blasting machines are another type of deburring machines in which media is blasted on to parts under high pressure thus creating a finishing action. Blasting machines are used to deburr hard to reach parts and also to clean parts of dust, grime, rust etc. There are also other deburring machines like gyra machines, centrifugal disks and spin finishing machines for specialized usage.

Finishing media are used in finishing systems to aid in the deburring process. Ceramic media is ideal for use with hard metals that need heavy cutting action. They are generally used for polishing and deburring – light, heavy, fast or super fast deburring. For applications that need small sized media, ceramic media is highly recommended. They come in pre formed shapes to suit different purposes. Cones, stars, triangles, cylinders etc are some of the shapes in ceramic media. These shapes ensure easy separation of parts and deburring of hard to reach areas. Ceramic media are long lasting and inexpensive. As they can be used for multiple requirements, they are the most commonly used in the mass finishing industry.

Ceramic media are made as a combination of silica, minerals and abrasive materials and are manufactured at very high temperatures thus producing hard ceramic media which are then cut to the desired length. The rougher deburring applications call for a ceramic media that has more density. By using more abrasive in the manufacturing, high density can be achieved. But high density means faster wear and tear; so they are used only rarely. Go to http://gravcollc.com/ for more information on deburring machines and media.

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago at 8:59 pm.

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