The Most Common Deburring Methods

Manual deburring is widely used for small series or where the situation requires it. This may sound simple, but it should not be underestimated.

High-quality, consistent manual deburring requires a high level of concentration and a great deal of manual skill in the presence of noise and dirt. Manual deburring is often carried out by the machine operator in conjunction with machining directly next to the machine. Manual deburring is usually only carried out on individual parts or on a situational basis.

There are several suppliers in the market who offer special manual deburrers with a wide variety of blade shapes. KEMPF, for example, supplies the Shaviv Hand Deburrer.

Air-powered or electric tools with mounted points, deburring cutters or brushes are also often used. Here we recommend the XEBEC Ceramic Fiber Surface Brushes made of self-sharpening ceramic fiber, our Carbide Rotary Cutters or our Ceramic Fiber Mounted Points.
Manual deburring also includes roughing and finishing files, grinding wheels, sandpaper and other similar tools.

For manual use, selected deburring tools that are intended for machine processing can also be used manually. Semi-automatic deburring tools with spring-loaded cutting edges, such as our Burraway, our Burr-Off Deburring Tool or the E-Z-Burr, are ideal for this purpose.

This is a machining process generally used to deburr the back of holes, often with the option of deburring the front.

The cutting edges are under pressure (spring pressure, preload for fork tools or coolant). The pressure is usually adjustable or can be adapted to the deburring process or the material.

These tools are used in the same way as drilling tools; they are guided centrally through the hole to be deburred in clockwise rotation. The cutting edge folds in automatically during the feed. Defined deburring with spring-loaded cutting edges is only possible to a limited extent and with restrictions.

We recommend the following tools

• our Burraway, Burr-Off or E-Z-Burr for front and rear deburring and chamfering of bores,
• the GMO Deburring Tool for deburring and chamfering the rear side of boreholes or
• the HSD for deburring intersecting bores.

Circular deburring cutters perform precise and even deburring, even in hard-to-reach areas. Their special cutting geometry enables efficient material removal, even with 3D shapes. In conjunction with 3-axis machines and appropriate programming, there are virtually no limits to the range of applications for these tools. The only limitation is the operating length.

The use of deburring cutters requires defined contours in relatively narrow workpiece tolerances. To extend the range of application to undefined edges (e.g. cast, forged or welded parts), it is possible to use an axial compensation holder. Axial compensation in tension and compression, along with specially developed 45° deburring cutters, also enables machining of undefined edges and contours. Thanks to its compensating holder, the cutter is pushed away from dimensional deviations on the workpiece when it moves off and therefore deburrs evenly all round with the same force.

We recommend the following tools

• the Back-Burr Cutter & Path Deburring System for front and back deburring of edges on 3D curved surfaces . It was specially developed for deburring and enables secondary burr-free processing. Due to the often very complex CNC programming, we offer optional NC data sets for optimum deburring results and maximum tool life.
• the IBEX Deburring System with axial compensation holder for deburring even undefined contours
• our Carbide Rotary Cutters and Burrs

Deburring with brushes is also widely used on CNC machines. The deburring contour does not have to be followed in a defined manner, which saves time. However, it can be difficult to achieve a uniform deburring result if the burr formation varies. It should also be noted that the abrasion from abrasive deburring brushes is flushed along with the coolant and can lead to soiling of the machine.

There are numerous suppliers on the market with a wide variety of brush types, from steel, brass or nylon brushes with different fillings (AlO, SiC, diamond, etc.) and with grit sizes from 36 to 8000 to ceramic fiber brushes or honing brushes.

We have specialized in ceramic fibre brushes, whose 1000 bonded bristles are not only coated with ceramic, but also consist of 80% abrasive ceramic throughout. They offer the great advantage that the self-sharpening cutting edges enable a constant abrasive performance.

In contrast to wire brushes, the ceramic fiber bristles return to their original shape after processing. These brushes can be used in a wide range of applications, especially in conjunction with an axial compensating holder, and impress with their long service life, higher productivity and lower costs.

We recommend these ceramic fiber brushes:

• the XEBEC surface brush for deburring and polishing surfaces,
• the XEBEC Cross-Hole Brush for deburring cross holes and polishing or descaling hole walls,
• the XEBEC Wheel Type round brush for lateral deburring and polishing of surfaces, edges and threads.

Here, the workpieces to be deburred are picked up by the robot using a gripper and guided along the permanently attached deburring unit under program control.

This procedure is preferred above all for small and medium-sized components and is usually used in series production.

Here, the flexible robot arm processes a firmly clamped workpiece and moves along the workpiece edges in a defined manner.

The tool-guided strategy is particularly preferred for larger components with complex contours, as it is much easier to move the tool than the large, bulky component. Another advantage here is that the robot can pick up several tools via a changing station and can carry out a wide variety of deburring operations on the component using an automatic tool change.

This deburring process in accordance with DIN 8590 uses direct current electrolysis to enable targeted material removal.
The workpiece forms the anode (positive pole) and the tool the cathode (negative pole). The tool is positioned a short distance from the edge of the workpiece. An electrolyte solution then creates the electrical connection, causing the burrs to dissolve.

This deburring process is particularly interesting for the targeted rounding of edges and bore transitions.

The thermal-chemical deburring process is also known as “explosion deburring”. In this process, high temperatures of up to 3000°C are generated in a combustion chamber by igniting a mixture of oxygen and gas, which act on the workpiece for a few milliseconds. These high temperatures cause the fine protruding burrs to vaporize, while the workpiece itself is only heated moderately to up to 160°C.

If a workpiece has internal burrs that are difficult to access, this process is well suited.

In this process, a medium (fluid) mixed with abrasives is forced through the inside of the workpiece and back again under pressure via a hydraulic component. This process is usually repeated several times, depending on the burr thickness and the desired edge rounding. A wide variety of grinding particles (ceramic, diamond, aluminum oxide, ...) in different particle sizes are used to adapt to a wide range of materials, burr thicknesses and surface requirements.

The process was named after the manufacturer Walther Trowal and is defined as “vibratory finishing” in accordance with DIN 8589.

In vibratory finishing, the components are processed in a rotating, vibrating or oscillating drum. Abrasive media (chips) of various sizes and shapes are used and an additive in an aqueous solution is usually added. The edges of the workpiece are rounded or deburred by the movement of the container due to the abrasive particles.

The process is used for fine deburring as well as for surface improvement and for cleaning components. The entire component, inside and out, is processed. No defined deburring can be carried out, but all workpiece surfaces that come into contact with the abrasive media are ground down and rounded. The removal rate and thus the deburring thickness can be varied by selecting different abrasive media and additives as well as the running time of the system.

This deburring method is a non-contact process. The components to be deburred are guided in a process water basin at a defined angle along the tip of an ultrasonic sonotrode. It produces ultrasonic vibrations with a frequency of 20,000 Hz. This creates sound waves and a zone of intense cavitation. The implosion of the cavitation bubbles creates pressure peaks that remove the burrs with sharp edges - either selectively or over a large area. The burr can be processed specifically, while the rest of the surface remains undisturbed.

Ultrasonic deburring is suitable for all common metals, including titanium and nickel alloys, brass and fiber-reinforced plastics. The system is programmed in a similar way to the CAM programming of milling centers, followed by a classic post-processor run.

Ultrasonic devices are available from manual modules to complete ultrasonic deburring systems with robot operation.

The blasting technique is often colloquially referred to as “sandblasting” or “shot blasting”. Abrasive blasting particles (e.g. sand, steel balls, glass beads or dry ice) are usually accelerated to high speeds using compressed air.

Blasting is used in component cleaning, for derusting and descaling as well as for fine deburring, but also for surface finishing. Deburring is usually carried out under increased pressure and using a wet blasting process. Liquids are added to the blasting agent. Blasting is carried out both manually with blasting nozzles and in complete blasting systems with parts transport through to fully automated line production.

Depending on the requirements, the appropriate blasting process is defined. Factors to be taken into account include the type of surface, the type of contamination, the size of the surface and the cost of the respective process.

A special form of blasting is CO² snow blasting. The blasting medium here is liquid carbon dioxide, which turns into solid snow or ice crystals when it emerges from the nozzle. Areas of application include fine deburring and component cleaning, even on sensitive surfaces such as in the optical industry and medical technology.

Another special form is dry ice blasting. The principle is similar to conventional blasting technology, but dry ice particles are used instead of granules.