Thursday, March 10, 2011

Can the sPINer help your company Deburr? It's not for everyone...


Process Benefits
Eliminate expensive and time-consuming manual methods!
Many manufacturers of small parts are required to deburr parts by hand due to several factors (critical tolerances, burrs in the ID, external threads, light/thin areas prone to damage, etc.). The sPINner uses a very small stainless pin media available in sizes under 0.008” diameter. This allows the sPINner to deburr areas without damage to critical tolerances and can deburr even very thin work-pieces without deforming the parts.

Deburr ID areas and small holes!
The small size of the media driven by a magnetic field allows the sPINner to deburr ID areas and cross-holes not possible with other technologies. The small size if the media (to under 0.008” diameter) can help deburr holes from 0.010” and up.

Deburr parts with external threads!
External threads pose a problem for traditional deburring technologies since the threads would be damaged from grinding of the media. The sPINner media is not destructive to threads. In fact, due to the small size of the media it can help remove galling or chattering lines at the base of the thread and help gently smooth threads without damage.

Eliminate media jamming!
The deburring media used in the sPINner does not have the same breakdown characteristics of ceramic media used in other technologies. Traditional ceramic media is designed to breakdown during processing. This results in the media changing size and dimensions over time that can begin to jam in the parts. The stainless steel media used in the sPINner does not suffer from this limitation and will not dimensionally change. The sPINner media last about 2-3 years in most applications. This means a media size can be used without the fear of jamming!

Eliminate parts washing after deburring!
Parts typically need washed after processing in other technologies due to the fact these processes leave a residue of ceramic or porcelain sludge or dust on the parts. The stainless media used in the sPINner does not create this sludge. The result is that parts come out of the sPINner clean. This can eliminate the need for a separate washing after deburring saving both time and money!

Eliminate sludge in the wastewater!
As mentioned above, other technologies use a media (ceramic or porcelain) that breaks-down during processing parts. This leaves sludge in the wastewater that needs removed before the water can be either drained or recycled. The sPINner uses a stainless media that does not breakdown during processing like ceramic media. The result is the wastewater is free of sludge. This can help eliminate the separate processing of the wastewater to remove the sludge saving money.

Reduce cycle times!
Cycle times in the sPINner vary according to the specific application. However, generally the cycle times in the sPINner are a fraction of the time required in traditional vibratory or tumbling technologies. The table below gives some guidelines on cycle times.

Material Est. Cycle Times
  • Aluminum  5-15 minutes
  • Brass 5-20 minutes
  • Copper 5-20 minutes
  • Stainless Steel 10-20 minutes
  • Titanium 10-30 minutes
  • Steel 10-30 minutes

Again, the individual application will determine the actual cycle time required.

Fits Any Size Operation!
The sPINner is available in four sizes ranging from desktop units with 6” diameter containers to floor standing models with 21” diameter containers. There is a sPINner to fit both centralized deburring and cell manufacturing!

If you are interested if the sPINner can help with your small parts deburring application, send a few parts to:
Earth-Chain USA
9930 East 56th Street.
Indianapolis, IN 46236
Attn: John Swann

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

What kind of burr can the sPINner magnetic deburring remove?

What kind of burr can the sPINner remove?
We are often asked, “What kind of burr will the sPINner remove?” The standard answer is “a light burr”. This answer leaves a lot of room for interpretation. What is a light burr to some will be a heavy burr to others.
 The rule of “Thumb”:
In order to form an initial evaluation if the sPINner will work on a particular part try the rule of “thumb”. As a general rule, if you can take a fingernail and remove the burr, the part has a good chance of testing well in the sPINner. Burrs heavier than this may tend to roll and flatten, but not be removed during the process. 
A quick lesson on burrs:





To the left is a drawing of a cross-section of a burr on a part. From the drawing you can see some main areas we will be concerned with; the part itself (parent metal), the burr thickness at root, burr thickness, and burr height. 









Light Burrs
A lighter burr can be loosely defined as a burr with a thin thickness at root (B1). As the amount of material holding the burr to the parent metal increases, a more aggressive deburring action is required to remove the burr. Using this definition it is possible to have burrs that are tall, yet are “lighter” by our definition because the thickness at the root is small. Burrs of this type are good candidates for the sPINner. 

Short Heavy Burrs
An example of short, yet heavy burrs are the ridges created from drilling. When a drill breaks through a part a ridge is pushed up around the hole on the side where the drill breaks through. While this ridge can be short in burr height (H0), the thickness at burr root is wide. Often this material is more a part of the parent metal than the burr. These burrs will not be good candidates for the sPINner as a very aggressive and abrasive action that has a high stock removal rate is required to remove these burrs.

Brittle Materials
Another factor to weigh in this process is the material itself. More brittle materials will tend to have the burr break away from the part (parent metal) making the sPINner a good option.


Softer Materials
Softer or more malleable material will tend to have the burr roll and flatten. Softer materials need to have a thinner thickness at root to be good candidates for the sPINner.

If you have a question regarding if the sPINner may work in a particular application, please contact Michael Harris or John Swann  Earth-Chain USA at 317-842-8934