Construction machinery manufacturers and machine builders who have integrated sheet metal fabrication into their processes can precisely plan which sheet metal part will be required weeks in advance. For large companies, reliable planning makes it easier to automate the sheet metal fabrication processes and increases productivity. In contrast, contract manufacturers require far more flexibility. These often small and mid-sized companies face the challenge of adjusting their production schedules to new orders and new components on a daily basis. As a consequence, their production processes require constant modification, despite ever shorter delivery times.
More and more large machinery OEM’s are outsourcing the plasma cutting and laser cutting of parts that have to be cleanly deburred to contract manufacturers. This is a challenge for laser job shops and plasma cutters who need to integrate deburring techniques into their already complex process chain as efficiently as possible.
Laser cutting, plasma cutting and oxyfuel cutting leaves residue on the edges of the parts. This residue impairs the downstream processing. Parts with burrs, for example, are difficult to assemble and may not fit into the welding fixtures. The term deburring refers to several processing steps for the cut sheet metal parts. In the case of laser cutting, the burr needs to be removed from the part.
In addition to removing residue, the deburring process also includes rounding the sharp edges that occur after punching or cutting.
Edges that have not been rounded can cause injuries and also make it more difficult to apply paint. After laser cutting using older lasers with oxygen, the cutting surfaces may have an oxide layer. This layer can also be removed during the deburring process. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of corrosion or unclean weld seams.
Lastly, deburring can also include surface finishing. It is worth considering which deburring technique is best suited for your company. Although it may not be essential for every job, many customers expect deburred and rounded parts.
Deburred sheet metal parts today are a sign of quality and a must-have to remain competitive. We will give you an overview of all the important deburring methods and techniques.
Simply deburred: These are the most important techniques in automated deburring
When it comes to selecting a suitable deburring technique, many contract manufacturers still rely on manual deburring. This is partly because contract manufacturers see a huge variety of parts, each demanding a unique deburring solution. Processing the part with a hand grinder is an effective approach for deburring individual parts. The burrs are removed and the edges rounded with suitable media. Nevertheless, manual deburring is highly time-consuming. In addition, the resulting dust and physical demands ultimately represent a health risk.
From individual sheet metal parts to entire assemblies – contract manufacturers need to be flexible in terms of schedule and machinery in order to handle the diverse spectrum of jobs. In the case of mass-produced parts, more than a few laser job shops or flame cutting companies quickly reach their capacity limits using purely manual deburring. That is why automated deburring solutions have become popular among many contract manufacturers. Every deburring machine is based around automated grinding processes. Manufacturers of modern deburring machines offer systems that can be adapted to the contract manufacturers’ specific needs and can cleanly deburr large quantities.
A company specializing in manufacturing stainless steel waste containers relied on manual deburring for a long time. This was done to prevent employees from injuring themselves on the sharp edges when riveting the individual elements together. The company realized that using a hand-grinder for deburring was no longer worthwhile. Automated deburring solutions proved to be more economical. Therefore, the company decided to purchase a deburring machine. The machine provided the company with a production increase of 30% together with freeing up capacities to handle large-scale contract manufacturing orders.
Laser job shops specializing in laser cut sheet metal parts up to 20 mm thick often work with single-sided deburring machines. This is because the single-side deburring machines can also process small parts. The grinding belt rotates on the edges of the part to remove the burrs. In the next step, disc brushes process the part and round the edges on one side.
However, double-sided processing in a single step is becoming increasingly popular when deburring punched and laser-cut parts. The process is much faster and provides enormous logistical benefits.
Parts made of steel or stainless steel up to 100 mm thick are generally deburred on both sides. ARKU has developed a deburring machine that reliably removes burrs on the edges of the parts while simultaneously rounding the edges in a single processing step. The EdgeBreaker® is capable of deburring ten tons of material in five hours. In comparison, manual deburring would require around 50 hours for the same quantity. The inner workings of the EdgeBreaker® consist of a large grinding drum equipped with a grinding belt. The conveyor belt transports the part through the machine. The grinding drum oscillates and rotates over the surface of the part and removes the burrs on the outside and the edges of interior cutouts. This is due to a rubberized layer on the grinding belt that enables the pressure on the part to adapt to the contour of the edges. In the next step, brushes run over both sides of the part, rounding the edges evenly. This gives a massive boost to productivity when compared to single-sided deburring machines.
Using a touchscreen, the operator enters the part thickness and sets up the grinding drum and rounding units for the specific job. Customers that have switched over to state-of-the-art deburring machines will save time and money in comparison to manual deburring. One example is a customer that supplies commercial vehicles manufacturers with high-value stainless steel parts. The EdgeBreaker deburrs and rounds, both sides in one pass, batches of up to 200 pieces ranging from 20 to 80 mm thick in a matter of minutes. As a result of this massive increase in capacity, the company has been able to switch from two shifts to one shift per day.
When searching for suitable deburring solutions, you should always consider that automated deburring represents an economical alternative for your company even with a broad spectrum of parts. Deburring machines from ARKU can deburr and round diverse part thicknesses in a short amount of time.
Deburred sheet metal parts today are a sign of quality and a must-have to remain competitive. We will give you an overview of all the important deburring methods and techniques.
Simply deburred: These are the most important techniques in automated deburring