We have an ongoing job that is machining of extrusions. THe qty. is normally 100-200 pcs. at a time, twice a year. The material is a small aluminum extrusion with LOTS of small cavities. "It" is a 1.3" cube. It has like 20 cavities. Simular to 80/20, or Item extruded products.
My problem is deburring.
I have tried tumbling, sandblasting, abrasive brushes, & so called vapor honing ect... The only way to make sure all of the burrs are gone is to do it by hand. That is too time consuming.
This is the process:
saw chop to ruff length
use a 3/4 endmill to cut across the bottom and make it square ***
insert the newly squared bottom side down and machine the top of the extrusion with a 1/2 endmill, a 1/8 endill, and a woodruff key mill to leave more pockets, and slots****
*** indicates operations that creat burrs
Then we deburr
Then insert on the top side, and drill/tap 3ea. 3mm holes.
The reason for the drill tap AFTER the deburr, is in case we have to bead blast. (you don't want beads in a fine pitch thread)
I have tried everything I can think of to automate deburring.
The problem with tumbling is the media.
Even the smallest of media is TOO BIG to get into all the nooks and crannys. What is does do, is get stuck in the same nooks and crannys. Then we have to hand pick w/ needle nose pliers all of the media out.
My bead blaster does not have the umph to do it. So I tried sending it out to a comercial sandblasting company. They used an automatic sandblasting thing...
Well the product WAS better, but we still had to go back and remove lots of leftover burrs.
Can anybody help with anymore ideas.
I have heard of "flash deburring" but cannot locate anybody to try it.
Thanks for ANY help you can give.
Doug.
My problem is deburring.
I have tried tumbling, sandblasting, abrasive brushes, & so called vapor honing ect... The only way to make sure all of the burrs are gone is to do it by hand. That is too time consuming.
This is the process:
saw chop to ruff length
use a 3/4 endmill to cut across the bottom and make it square ***
insert the newly squared bottom side down and machine the top of the extrusion with a 1/2 endmill, a 1/8 endill, and a woodruff key mill to leave more pockets, and slots****
*** indicates operations that creat burrs
Then we deburr
Then insert on the top side, and drill/tap 3ea. 3mm holes.
The reason for the drill tap AFTER the deburr, is in case we have to bead blast. (you don't want beads in a fine pitch thread)
I have tried everything I can think of to automate deburring.
The problem with tumbling is the media.
Even the smallest of media is TOO BIG to get into all the nooks and crannys. What is does do, is get stuck in the same nooks and crannys. Then we have to hand pick w/ needle nose pliers all of the media out.
My bead blaster does not have the umph to do it. So I tried sending it out to a comercial sandblasting company. They used an automatic sandblasting thing...
Well the product WAS better, but we still had to go back and remove lots of leftover burrs.
Can anybody help with anymore ideas.
I have heard of "flash deburring" but cannot locate anybody to try it.
Thanks for ANY help you can give.
Doug.