4 reasons automated deburring might be the right choice for your shop

Before and after deburring with an automated system. Photo courtesy of Timesavers.

With the extensive variety of deburring systems available, it can be exceptionally challenging to determine which one will work best for your specific production requirements. Each part profile, finish, thickness, and type of material can introduce unique challenges, expenses, and constraints to your cutting and smoothing efforts, which complicates the decision even further.

In many cases, professional metalworkers manually deburr parts while their machine works away at the next plate. However, regardless of how skilled you are at manual deburring, it’s impossible to match the speed and consistency of automated deburring systems. In fact, hand grinding could be hampering the overall productivity and profitability of your organization.

What Is Automated Deburring?

To begin, let’s take a moment to discuss how automated deburring systems work compared to traditional manual deburring. The cutting machine operator feeds cut parts through the automated deburring machine one at a time. The wide-belt abrasive on the device grinds and smooths the metal parts in seconds, resulting in burr-free pieces that are ready to be processed. From there a material handler retrieves the pieces and transports them to downstream operations. With the time saved by eliminating manual deburring, the cutting machine operator can run multiple machines at once, effectively doubling productivity.

Different types of automated machines are available. Single-head deburring machines quickly cut the burr off of metal pieces that are fed through them. Occasionallythe single-head machine can leave a section of the burr behind on the metal part’s leading edge after it’s been fed through. Multihead machines also are available, which combine abrasive belts and a rotating barrel brush to grind away the leading burr. However, these machines are often more expensive than single-head variants, and not all metal pieces require multiple heads to be processed effectively.

For more detailed information on the automated deburring process, check this article on automated deburring basics.

4 Main Advantages of Automated Deburring

1. Maximized Efficiency
Automated deburring machines can save large amounts of time and energy compared to hand deburring. Consider the following real-world example.

In 2010 Timesavers worked with Vac-Con, a producer of sewer-cleaning vehicles, to improve the efficiency of its metalworking production process. At the time Vac-Con’s plasma machine operator was deburring all the parts he produced by hand. On average, the plasma machine took about one hour to fully cut through a plate, and the operator used the entirety of this time to grind the cut parts manually.

After learning how to use an automated deburring machine, the operator could complete his grinding work within 15 minutes. This increase in efficiency allowed the vehicle manufacturer to purchase a second plasma cutting machine for the operator, allowing him to cut and grind twice the number of parts each shift.

2. Safety
Automated deburring also helps contribute to employee safety. Operators do not have to get close to the grinding media because it is located inside of the machine. In addition, many automated deburring machines have a safety switch that shuts the machine down with an emergency stop whenever an operator puts their fingers inside.

Manual grinding can subject employees to repetitive-motion injuries, whereas with automated deburring, operators feed parts through the machine and collect them on the other side.

3. Consistency
No matter how skilled a metalworking team is, it’s impossible for all employees to attain flawless consistency without the use of automation. Each person grinds metal a little bit differently, resulting in different finishes from each worker. Moreover, as people get fatigued later in the shift, the amount of pressure and force they exert when grinding can change, leading to different finishes as the day progresses.

With the help of automated deburring, every metalworker in a facility can achieve a flawless finish throughout their shift, which helps boost the consistency and quality of processed parts.

4. New Product Offerings
With automated deburring capabilities, companies can offer such features as a fine finish as an upcharge. This tactic can help metalworking companies stand apart from competitors in terms of efficiency, consistency, and finish selection.

When Is Automated Deburring the Wrong Choice?

Bear in mind that automated deburring isn’t always the best choice for metalworkers. For example, automated deburring setups often require operators to change out abrasive belts to achieve different finishes. If your shop produces parts with a variety of finishes, an automated deburring system may require you to constantly change belts, costing you precious time and productivity. That’s why it’s imperative to weigh the upsides and downsides of automated deburring systems in relation to your production processes before you decide which setup will be most convenient and cost-effective.