Manufacturing Knowledge Base

Hand-operated, mechanized machines discussed in this chapter are exceptionally versatile in some instances; in others, they are limited but fast in what they do. The term mechanization, as used in this chapter, means to add mechanized equipment to assist the operator. Operator assistance, however, is still required to load, unload, push against the deburring tool, or adjust machines. Automation , in contrast, means that an operator is not required for any part of the deburring effort. The processes most employed to mechanize deburring include: vibratory finishing, centrifugal barrel finishing, roll-flow finishing, spindle finishing, abrasive-jet deburring, electrochemical deburring (ECD), abrasive-flow deburring, brush deburring, bonded-abrasive deburring (sanding), and, thermal-energy method (TEM) deburring. Any deburring process can be automated. In practice, however, only a few are widely automated, including: vibratory finishing, centrifugal barrel finishing, roll-flow finishing, abrasive-jet deburring, electrochemical deburring (ECD), abrasive-flow deburring, brush deburring, bonded-abrasive deburring (sanding), thermal energy method (TEM) deburring, cryogenic abrasive-jet deburring, electropolish deburring, and robotic deburring. Fully automated lines are more expensive than standalone machines that an operator loads and unloads.