Phillips Stamping
5290 S Main St. • Akron, Ohio 44319
(866) 882-1591
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Mass Finishing  
Mass finishing is a group of manufacturing processes that allow large quantities of parts to be simultaneously finished. The goal of this type of finishing is to burnish, deburr, clean, radius, de-flash, descale, remove rust, polish, brighten, surface harden, prepare parts for further finishing, or break off die cast runners. The two main types of mass finishing are tumble finishing, also known as barrel finishing, and vibratory finishing.   Both involve the use of a cyclical action to create grinding contact between surfaces. Sometimes the workpieces are finished against each other; however, usually a finishing medium is used. Mass finishing can be performed dry or wet; wet processes have liquid lubricants, cleaners, or abrasives, while dry processes do not. Cycle times can be as short as 10 minutes for nonferrous workpieces or as long as 2 hours for hardened steel.

Mass finishing processes can be configured as either batch systems, in which batches of workpieces are added, run, and removed before the next batch is run, or as continuous systems, in which the workpieces enter at one end and leave at the other end in the finished state. They may also be sequenced, which involves running the workpieces through multiple different mass finishing processes; usually, the finish becomes progressively finer. Due to the random action of the processes, mass finishing is as much an art as it is a science.

  Tumble finishing

Tumble finishing, also known as tumbling or rumbling, is a technique for smoothing and polishing a rough surface on relatively small parts. In the field of metalworking, a similar process called barreling, or barrel finishing, works upon the same principles.

 
Metal tumbling is used to burnish, deburr, clean, radius, de-flash, descale, remove rust, polish, brighten, surface harden, prepare parts for further finishing, and break off die cast runners.
The process is fairly simple: a horizontal barrel is filled with the parts which is then rotated. Variations of this process usually include media, water, or other lubricants. As the barrel is rotated the material rises until gravity causes the uppermost layer to landslide down to the other side. The barrel may also have vanes, typically made of rubber, which run along the inside of the barrel.
As the barrel turns the vanes catch and lift the parts, which eventually slide down or fall.
 
In a wet processes a compound, lubricant, or barreling soap is added to aid the finishing process, prevent rusting, and to clean parts. A wide variety of media is available to achieved the desired finished product. Common media materials include: sand, granite chips, slag, steel, ceramics, and synthetics. Moreover, these materials are available in a wide variety of shapes. Usually different shapes are used in the same load to reach into every geometry of the part.

Barrel burnishing is a type of barreling where no cutting action is desired. The goal is to reduce minute irregularities and produce a clean, smooth surface. The parts are usually tumbled against themselves or with steel balls, shot, rounded-end pins, or ballcones to achieve this. It is also usually a wet process, that uses water and a lubricant or cleaning agent, such as soap or cream of tartar. The barrel is not loaded more than half full and if media is used then a 2:1 ratio of media to parts is maintained to keep the parts from rubbing.[3]

 

Vibratory finishing

Vibratory finishing is a type of mass finishing manufacturing process used to deburr, radius, descale, burnish, clean, and brighten a large number of relatively small workpieces.

In this batch-type operation, specially shaped pellets of media and the workpieces are placed into the tub of a vibratory tumbler. The tub of the vibratory tumbler and all of its contents are then vibrated. The vibratory action causes the media to rub against the workpieces which yield the desired result. Depending on the application this can be either a dry or wet process.

Unlike tumbling this process can finish internal features, such as holes. Its also quicker and quieter. The process is performed in an open tub so the operator can easily observe if the required finish has been obtained.

Vibratory tumblers

Vibratory tumblers have an action that is similar to filing. An eccentric, rotating weight shakes the tub in a circular path, during which the entire load is lifted up at an angle and then dropped. As the load is falling (but not actually airborne) the tub returns to an upward position, applying an upward and angular force that causes a shearing action where the parts and media rub against each other.

Vibratory finishing systems tend to produce a smooth finish because the media essentially lthe parts. Since the load is moving as a unit, very fragile parts are quite safe in the vibrator. There is no tearing action or unequal forces that tend to bend and distort parts. The larger the parts or media are, the faster the cutting action.

The frequency and amplitude of the machine controls the finish of the parts. The frequencies can vary from 900 to 3600 cycles per minute (CPM) and the amplitude can vary from 0 to 316 in (4.76 mm). High frequencies, 1800 CPM or greater, and small amplitudes are used for fine finishes or delicate parts, whereas large amplitudes are used for heavier cutting. High frequencies and amplitudes can roll burrs and peen edges. The circulation of parts is best at higher frequencies, therefore, heavy pieces are run at these high frequencies with moderate amplitudes of 332 to 18 in (2.38 to 3.18 mm).

Media

Media are designed for four things:

Cut  
Media which cut can remove burrs and can smooth surfaces. As a carrier of abrasive grain, the large medium pieces effectively increase the impact force of the abrasive on the metal part to be cut, thereby improving the efficiency of the abrasive. Cutting media develop dull, matte surfaces. 
Luster  
Some grades of medium are designed to promote luster on the surface of metal parts. These products are generally non-abrasive or have a very low degree of abrasiveness. They deburr by peening, rather than actually removing the burr. Media selection, therefore, will control the degree of surface luster, making the part bright and shiny or developing a very matte, dull surface characterized by a completely random scratch pattern, or anything in between.
Part separation
A very important function of the medium is to separate parts during the deburring, cutting, surface improving or burnishing operations. The media:parts volume ratio is normally used to control the amount of part-on-part contact which will occur in a vibratory or tumble finishing operation. At low ratios, considerable part-on-part contact occurs, while at higher ratios part-on-part contact is limited.
Surface scrubbing  
Media have the unique ability to scrub surfaces and physically assist compounds in their cleaning function. Both abrasive and non-abrasive media are effective in this. They can remove organic soils, scale, and other inorganic residues.

Media come in a wide range of materials in order to fulfill various needs.[3]

Aluminum media
Aluminum media are typically cast parts and are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Aluminum scrubs parts and can work in conjunction with cleaning compounds to clean parts. Since aluminum is fairly nonabrasive it tends to remove surface impurities without affecting the part's surface qualities. Its cost is typically higher than other cast media. Wear rates are lower than ceramic but higher than steel media.
Preformed ceramic media
Ceramic media are manufactured by mixing clay-like materials and water with abrasives, forming the mud into shapes, drying the shapes, and firing them at high temperatures to vitrify the binder. Many of these binders are porcelain-like in nature. Variability in these products occur both with the type of binder used, firing temperatures, the amount, size and type of abrasive grains they contain, and their uniformity of firing. This type of media today is the general workhorse of mass finishing systems and is the type of medium generally used, because of its availability in a variety of shapes and sizes, low cost, and low wear rate.
Preformed resin-bonded media
Plastic or resin-bonded media utilize a wider range of abrasive types and sizes than preformed ceramics. The most popular grades are those using quartz as an abrasive. Aluminum oxide, silicon carbide and other abrasives are also used. Usually, low-cost  polyester resins are employed as the binder and the various shapes are produced by casting. Resin bonded media is good for preparing a metal surface for plating.
Steel
Case hardened, stress-relieved steel preformed shapes are available in a variety of sizes and configurations. Balls, balls with flat spots, ovoids (footballs), diagonally cut wire similar to angle-cut cylinders, ball cones and cones (both of which are different than the general concept of cones) and pins are the most commonly used. Steel media weigh approximately 300 pounds per cubic foot and are expensive for initial installation, but, because of their minimal attrition rate and extreme cleanliness, are being more widely used for light deburring applications and cleaning. Compounds are available to keep steel burnishing media clean and bright for extended periods.
Synthetic random-shaped media
The most popular synthetic random media is fused aluminum oxide, which is available in a number of grades. The more loosely bound, coarse-grained materials are characterized by fast cut and high depreciation rates. Because of the dark color of fused aluminum oxide, the soil generated by this material is excessive in many applications. Fine-grained fused aluminum oxide is generally employed for burnishing and in this respect is unexcelled in many applications with the possible exception of steel. Where some light cutting is required, fine-grained aluminum oxide can develop a better luster on stainless steels and other hard surfaces than can be achieved with steel burnishing media.
Natural random-shaped media
River rock, granite, quartz, limestone, emry and other naturally occurring abrasive materials are also used in vibratory and tumble finishing applications. In general, these media are not very efficient in vibratory equipment because of their high attrition rates.
Cobmeal, walnut-shell flour, and related materials
These are used for drying applications because of the natural ability of these materials to absorb water from metal surfaces. These can also be blended with abrasives and used for fine-polishing applications in vibratory, barrel, or spindle finishing equipment.
Other
Shoe pegs, leather, carpet-tacks and many other solid materials have been used at one time or another in tumble or vibratory finishing for certain applications.

Compounds

Compounds are added to mass finishing processes to assist in deburring, burnishing, cutting, cleaning, descaling, and inhibiting corrosion. They may be liquids or dry powders. They are usually broken up into four types: deburring and finishing, burnishing, cleaning, and water stabilizing.

Deburring and finishing  
These compounds are mainly designed to suspend the small particles created when deburring and abrading parts. They are also designed to keep workpieces clean and inhibit corrosion.
Burnishing  
Burnishing compounds are designed to enhance brightness and to develop certain colors after mass finishing.
Cleaning  
These compounds are usually dilute acids or soaps designed to remove soil, grease, or oil from the incoming parts. They also provide corrosion resistance for ferrous and non-ferrous parts.
Water stabilizers
These are used in conjunction with water to maintain a consistent water hardness and level of metal ions. This helps ensure consistent results from batch to batch.
Phillips Machine & Stamping Corp.
5290 S Main St New Franklin, OH 44319 US
Phone: (330) 882-6714 Website: PhillipsStamping.com
 
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