IQS Newsroom Articles on Vibratory Finishing
Vibratory Finishing
Mass finishing, a process of finishing many parts at one time, is usually
done by vibratory finishing. Just as its name implies, vibratory finishing
uses a process of vibration within a drum-like enclosure to create friction
between tumbling
and deburring media and the machined, forged or extruded parts which need
finishing. Tumbling
and deburring media are plastic, metal or ceramic pieces made in a variety
of sizes and shapes to achieve specific deburring, finishing or polishing results.
As the drum vibrates it causes the deburring media to rub against the unfinished
parts in a cyclonic movement towards the center bottom. The friction between
the tumbling media and the unfinished parts within the vibrating tumbler smoothes parts and eliminates burrs.
Vibratory finishing is a very common method for finishing large numbers of
parts, since the wide variety of available tumbling
media and the various sizes of tumblers can
be customized to suit any type of part, whether it be small, large, metal,
plastic, complex or simple. Deburring
media commonly used for polishing applications include steel, ceramic, porcelain,
plastic or natural materials such as walnut shells, coconut shells and corn
cob. Steel media is shaped into various kinds of spheres and ovals, while plastic
and ceramic tumbling media are shaped as pyramids, cylinders, tetrahedrons
or stars, depending on how much abrasion is needed. The variety of media shapes,
sizes and materials make it so that vibratory finishing can meet a wide variety
of finishing needs, including heavy deburring, light deburring, burnishing,
polishing, buffing and coating.
Vibratory finishing equipment sometimes combines a number of these functions
within one automated machine. Combo vibratory finishers contain different compartments
of tumbling
media with parts conveyors so that parts may be deburred, cleaned, pre-plate
finished, washed, dried, and coated before they are automatically sorted out
from tumbling media into a final compartment. Other vibratory finishers are
simple media tumblers designed for deburring or polishing; wet media may be used to apply protective
coatings, extra burnishing or color. Thanks to its basic design and wide versatility,
vibratory finishing equipment is a simple, vital solution to mass finishing
of wood, metal, plastic or ceramic parts.