WHAT IS VIBRATORY FINISHING?
Vibratory finishing is a surface treatment method, also called trowalizing. By trowalizing metal components you can get several different properties, depending on what you are looking for. The properties vibratory finishing can offer are:
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DEBURRING OF SHARP EDGES
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POLISHING FOR BETTER SURFACES AND FINISH
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CLEANING
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CORROSION PROTECTION
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DEGREASING
This creates surfaces that become smooth, clean and free from sharp edges.
HOW DOES THE METHOD WORK?
Vibratory finishing is done by putting the components in a drum. within the drum, the components are vibrated around and rubbed against chips in a liquid called compound.
COMPOUND
The compound is the liquid in which the components are spun. The function of this liquid varies depending on the purpose but may have properties such as:
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DEGREASING
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CLEANING
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RUST PROTECTION
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GRINDING
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POLISHING
CHIPS
Chips are the physical material that spins around among the components. These chips can vary between:
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CERAMIC STONES
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STEEL BALLS
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PLASTIC CONES
The chips are there to separate the components from harming each other, but mainly to:
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REMOVE SHARP EDGES
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POLISH UP THE SURFACE
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EVEN EVENINGS
GRINDING
With the help of a vibration drum, machined components that have visible unwanted lines can be grind down. This grinding is possible thanks to the chips, which rub against the mechanical component and then grind the surface.
POLISHING
Sometimes mechanical components or fasteners need to be polished. Polishing by hand is both inefficient and expensive. It is therefore both more time-effective and cheaper to polish the details by trowalizing.
The surfaces that can be obtained by polishing in a drum are:
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MIRROR FINISH
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GLOSSY
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HIGH GLOSS
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REFLECTIVE
RUST PROTECTION
When using materials that are sensitive to rust, it is important to protect the component as quickly as possible. Instead of sending the details to a surface coating company, you can use a compound with rust protection when you trowalizing the pieces.
DEGREASING & CLEANING
When a mechanical component is machined in a CNC lathe, the machine uses oils or emulsion to cool the tools and the workpiece.
This makes the pieces greasy and dirty. One way to solve this is to wash the details in an industrial washing machine.
If the parts have to be drummed for other reasons, a process (washing) can be avoided as the drum can do two steps in one.
REMOVE SHARP EDGES
REMOVE IRREGULARITIES
There are many reasons to smooth out roughness on your CNC machined mechanical component:
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AESTHETICS
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LESS FRICTION
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LESS WEAR
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QUIET MECHANICAL RUNNING
When the drum rubs the part against the chips it becomes smoother and nicer to hold. This is because the drum lowers the RA and RZ values of the product.
ADDED SERVICES
By letting us take care of the heat and surface treatment for the components that we machine, you contribute to a more sustainable future.