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Parts manufacturers are painfully aware of the emphasis automakers, in particular, put on “burr-free” gears. Reaching the ideal of burr-free production is an important pursuit because sharp edges on the parts can cause injury and mechanical problems in the finished product. Finding the best deburring solution for any particular gear depends on three factors, according to Michael Tolinski, a contributing editor with Manufacturing Engineering: production volume, target edge condition and the size of the burr. The thickness of the burr turns out to be the most important consideration. Long, thin burrs are easily removed, but burrs that are thicker than they are long might require machining. Parts manufacturers would do well to work closely with their deburring equipment source to decide on or even custom-design a deburring machine appropriate for the job. Tolinski outlines several technologies that can contribute to a deburring solution. Thermal energy. Effective at deburring small parts in bulk, thermal approaches use gas burned with oxygen to burn the burrs off without harming the rest of the part. However, thicker burrs do not respond as well to this treatment. Rotary tools on dedicated equipment. This method integrates the deburring process seamlessly with the rest of the run in large-scale gear production. Hard rotary tools perform deburring and chamfering as one more step in machining. Unfortunately, this solution, though efficient and cost-effective, does not work for every deburring application involving gears. But there are other possibilities. Wet deburring. High-pressure water jets do the deburring in one version of the wet method. Actually, the water does double duty. First, it removes the burrs. Second, it cleans the parts. However, water is not as effective at removing heavy root burrs. In another wet version — electrochemical deburring (ECD) — an electrolyte directed at the part removes the burrs. Once, again, ECD is best for high-volume applications. Piggyback deburring. Sometimes, one deburring solution isn’t enough to get a gear up to specifications. In these cases, manufacturers might choose two or more approaches to deburr and chamfer, for example. Brush deburring can provide the flexibility these manufacturers need to achieve the proper level of deburring and edge definition. Another good thing about brush deburring is that the process can be integrated into the overall manufacturing process instead of being relegated to another department. Attention must be paid, however, to the type of brush used. The media are critical to the success of the process. Cleveland Deburring Machine Co. (CDMC) of Cleveland, Ohio, offers free design consultation for parts manufacturers in search of cost-effective deburring equipment, whether for gears or other parts. The company’s designers and engineers have years of experience working with manufacturers on designs to best meet the requirements of a wide variety of deburring applications. Over the years, CDMC has found that this collaborative approach leads to cost-effective deburring solutions.
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