PROCESS EQUIPMENT UPDATE
In the case of abrasive flow machining, processing is accomplished by means of abrasive particles that are embedded in a polymer plastic mass of defined viscosity
Image credit: Perfect Finish
RELIABLY REMOVING THOUSANDS OF BURRS IN MINUTES Thermal energy machining (TEM) also permits efficient and reproducible lot processing. It’s suitable for components made of nearly all metallic materials and thermoplastics from which internal as well as external burrs need to be removed – even from very difficult to access places. The parts are positioned inside the system for the deburring process, and the system is sealed. A precisely specified gas mixture is fed to the deburring chamber by means of a gas dosing system and flows through the entire component or production lot. After the gas is ignited, all of the internal and external burrs are fully burned away, and the roots of the burrs are sealed. No material is removed from the surface. Due to the fact that the process only lasts a few milliseconds, the workpieces are not significantly heated up. TEM makes it possible to reliably achieve ‘sharp-edged/burr-free’ deburring quality. Depending on the material, slight rounding of the edges is also possible. Use of this process is limited by the size of the part, as well as in the event that targeted edge rounding is required during deburring.
DEBURRING WITH ADDITIONAL FUNCTION Contactless electrochemical machining (ECM) demonstrates its strengths in this respect. The process is based on the principle of electrolysis. A cathodic electrode used as a tool is connected to a source of
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direct current. The other electrode is the anodic workpiece itself. A charge exchange between the cathode and the workpiece takes place in an aqueous electrolyte solution and processes the workpiece in a targeted fashion. On the one hand, this makes it possible to reliably deburr difficult-to-access areas such as edges, undercuts, internal bore intersections and pockets at precisely defined location on the workpiece. Casting, press moulding and forging flash can also be removed. On the other hand, ECM also makes it possible to produce, for example, highly precise contours, ducts, slots and hollows in a reproducible manner without any thermal or mechanical stressing. Thus the ECM process fulfils the more and more frequently specified requirement for burr-free processing – with a high quality surface finish as well. This is also one of the characteristics of abrasive
flow machining, by means of which Ra values off less than 0.01 µm can be achieved. The process is used for economically efficient deburring, edge rounding and polishing of internal and external surfaces of demanding components from the automotive and aviation industries, turbine manufacturing, medical and fluid engineering, food processing, mould and toolmaking, general machinery manufacturing and other industry sectors. Processing is accomplished by means of abrasive particles, the type, size and concentration of which are matched to the respective task, and which are embedded in a polymer plastic mass
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