Contributing Editor: Dave Davidson, Deburring/Finishing Technologist 509.230.6821 | dryfinish@gmail.com | https://about.me/dave.davidson
If you have parts that need edge or surface finishing improvement and would like to have FREE sample part processing and a quotation developed for finishing the parts please contact Dave Davidson at dryfinish@gmail.com I can also be reached at 509.230.6821. Information about equipment for bringing Centrifugal Iso-Finishing capability to your facility is also available…
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[NOTE: Isofinishing is the largest Centrifugal Iso-Finishing contract finishing service center in North America. It features a state of the art facility with hands-free and high-speed equipment for a quick turnaround on your parts. It has fully credentialed part quality and tracking systems including ISO-9001:2015] See below examples of both parts finished and the Centrifugal Iso-Finishing equipment utilized for hands-free deburring and polishing.
Hand deburring and manual polishing is the bane of many machine shop’s and machining department’s existence. The same is true of parts manufactured with 3D printing technology. What can be done to minimize the need for these tedious, time-consuming, labor-intensive production bottlenecks? In many cases, the need for hand-deburring or surface finishing operations can be reduced greatly with high-energy and high-intensity isotropic finishing operations. See below several examples below where laborious deburring procedures have been reduced, minimized or eliminated.
FREE SAMPLE FINISHING INFORMATION SEE: https://dryfinish.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/contract-finishing-and-free-sample-part-processing-for-centrifugal-isotropic-finishing-and-polishing/
Before and After Centrifugal Iso-Finishing on 3D Printed (Additive Manufactured) parts.
Titanium Medical Implant parts are processed with Centrifugal Isotropic Finishing to replace hand polishing and finishing
Hands-free deburring and finishing. Before and after surface condition on titanium test specimens. The upper part in the photo exhibits fly cutter milling machine marks and stepovers. The bottom part shows machining marks removed and replaced with an isotropic surface from hands-free and high-speed centrifugal isotropic finishing
Stainless steel castings often require substantial amounts of hand grinding work to smooth and polish surfaces. In this case, all of the hand-work was eliminated by processing the parts with centrifugal isotropic finishing.
High-Performance Race engine parts prior to Isotropic Micro-Finishing [Photo by Mark Riley, BV Products]
After Isotropic Micro-Finishing parts exhibit low micro-inch surface profiles. The ultra-smooth surfaces improve bearing load, reduce friction, improve lubrication distribution, reduce operating temperatures and extend the service life of components. This type of processing is used extensively throughout the motorsports racing industry [Photo: Mark Ripley, BV Products]
Centrifugal Isotropic Finishing is used to smooth and polish these brass coupling components obviating the need for hand polishing operations.
Centrifugal Isotropic Finishing has been used to minimize hand smoothing and polishing for AM and 3D printed part applications.
Prior to the adoption of centrifugal isotropic finishing techniques small parts such as this required considerable hand-deburring or hand polishing to meet customer requirements.
Prior to using centrifugal iso-finishing the machine shop making these parts had to handle each one individually through a series of hand deburring and hand-smoothing steps to eliminate machining marks on these medical parts that are used as a medical device inside body cavities
Dental devices such as this one often required many hours of hand-work to make surfaces acceptable for patient use. Much of that has been automated with the used of centrifugal isotropic polishing techniques.
Prior to adopting centrifugal isotropic polishing techniques these stainless steel cast ornamental parts required substantial hand grinding and polishing
Prior to adopting high-intensity isotropic finishing methods parts such as these would be edge-finished, smoothed and polished by hand or manual procedures
Brass ornamental parts such as these were commonly hand-finished before isotropic micro-finishing processes permitted automation or mechanization of the smoothing and polishing requirements.
Prior to utilizing a fixtured isotropic micro-finishing process these types of musical instrument parts required substantial buffing operations.
Smoothing the machining/milling marks and step-overs in the pockets of this veterinary pharmaceutical molding plate posed several challenges. When the machine shop used hand-smoothing methods to do this the surface tolerances were taken out of spec and parts were rejected. A hands-free isotropic finishing method was devised that removed machining marks and left completely uniform smooth surfaces.
Parts with intricate geometries often require substantial handwork to access fine features and details, high-intensity isotropic micro-finishing makes it possible to use very finely divided abrasive and polishing materials for accessing intricate details.
Again, high-intensity micro-finishing permits fine edge and surface finish work to be developed for parts that might otherwise require manual methods for finishing.
Aerospace rotating hardware such as these parts can require enormous amounts of hand deburring operations which can be alleviated with high intensity dry isotropic spindle finishing methods.
Non-metallic parts such as those above are often hand-finished and hand-polished unless isotropic finishing methods are adopted to automate the processing
These titanium orthodontic wire-forms were centrifugal iso-finished in special dry process media to produce highly refined and polished surfaces to prevent irritation of the tender tissues to be found in the mouth.
Above: Much hand-work has been replaced on the final surfacing of these acrylic and alloy dental components with centrifugal isotropic finishing
These parts require a high-energy centrifugal iso-finishing process so that small media can be effectively used to access the detailed features of the part.
Isotropic micro-finishing was used to produce ultra-smooth polished surfaces on these stainless steel castings with a minimum of hand-work
(Above) Rough ground and sharp-edged rotating components such as this can be deburred and finished with high-intensity dry spindle finish processing eliminating handwork that can produce significant reject and rework problems
Centrifugal isotropic finishing makes it possible to produce refined ultra-smooth surfaces in a hands-free environment. An added plus is that these processes can produce surfaces that are particularly useful as substrates for a wide variety of coatings.
High-speed and high-intensity isotropic micro-finishing equipment makes it possible to add value to many manufactured components by producing high-quality surfaces often in entirely hands-free automated operations. Pictured above is a Model HZ-60 Centrifugal Iso-Finishing machine. See the product brochure at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7r1pZI-FHD1ZS1GZ0dQNFJKbHJ2ZUUyNGxWZDRLaGNwOGw0
Mass Finishing technology for deburring, finishing and polishing of machined and additive manufactured parts and components
Centrifugal Iso-Finishing Technology
Centrifugal Isotropic Finishing (CIF) is a high-energy finishing method, which has come into widespread acceptance in the last few years. Although not nearly as universal in application as vibratory finishing, a long list of important CIF applications have been developed in the last few decades.
Similar in some respects to barrel finishing, in that, a drum-type container is partially filled with media and set in motion to create a sliding action of the contents, CIF is different from other finishing methods in some significant ways. Among these are the high pressures developed in terms of media contact with parts, the unique sliding action induced by rotational and centrifugal forces, and accelerated abrading or finishing action. As is true with other high energy processes, because time cycles are much abbreviated, surface finishes can be developed in minutes, which might tie up conventional equipment for many hours.
The principle behind CBF is relatively straightforward. Opposing barrels or drums are positioned circumferentially on a turret. (Most systems have either two or four barrels mounted on the turret; some manufacturers favor a vertical and others a horizontal orientation for the turret.) As the turret rotates at high speed, the barrels are counter-rotated, creating very high G-forces or pressures, as well as considerable media sliding action within the drums. Pressures as high as 50 Gs have been claimed for some equipment. The more standard equipment types range in size from 1 ft3 (30 L) to 10 ft3, although much larger equipment has been built for some applications.
Media used in these types of processes tend to be a great deal smaller than the common sizes chosen for the barrel and vibratory processes. The smaller media, in such a high-pressure environment, are capable of performing much more work than would be the case in lower energy equipment. They also enhance access to all areas of the part and contribute to the ability of the equipment to develop very fine finishes. In addition to the ability to produce meaningful surface finish effects rapidly, and to produce fine finishes, CBF has the ability to impart compressive stress into critical parts that require extended metal fatigue resistance. Small and more delicate parts can also be processed with confidence, as the unique sliding action of the process seems to hold parts in position relative to each other, and there is generally little difficulty experienced with part impingement. Dry process media can be used in certain types of equipment and is useful for light deburring, polishing, and producing very refined isotropic super-finishes.
Below are some process video footage demonstrations of high-speed centrifugal isotropic finishing. These automated edge and surface finishing methods are capable of producing very refined low micro-inch surfaces that can improve functional part performance and service life.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR BIOGRAPHY – David A. Davidson, [dryfinish@gmail.com]
Mr. Davidson is a deburring/surface finishing specialist and consultant. He has contributed technical articles to Metal Finishing and other technical and trade publications and is the author of the Mass Finishing section in the current Metal Finishing Guidebook and Directory. He has also written and lectured extensively for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Society of Plastics Engineers, American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Association and the Mass Finishing Job Shops Association. Mr. Davidson’s specialty is finishing process and finishing product development.
More about Dave Davidson…
I am a deburring and surface finishing specialist, consultant and advisor to SME’s [Society of Manufacturing Engineers] Technical Community Network. The focus of my activity is assisting manufacturers and machine shops with reducing their dependence on hand or manual deburring and finishing methods, and helping them to upgrade the edge and surface finish quality of their parts. I currently work from Colville, WA but I assist clients nation-wide. I can arrange for free sample processing and process development for your challenging deburring and finishing needs and can provide you with either contract finishing services or the in-house capability to produce improved hands-free finishes on precision parts. I can be contacted at 509.230.6821 or dryfinish@gmail.com. Let me know if I can be helpful.
Contributing Editor: Dave Davidson, Deburring/Finishing Technologist 509.230.6821 | dryfinish@gmail.com | https://about.me/dave.davidson
If you have parts that need edge or surface finishing improvement and would like to have FREE sample part processing and a quotation developed for finishing the parts contact Dave Davidson at dryfinish@gmail.com I can also be reached at 509.230.6821. Information about equipment for bringing Centrifugal Iso-Finishing capability to your facility is also available…
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