Advantages of Vibratory Finishing Over other Metal Finishing Processes
Metal polishing is an incredibly essential part of a majority of industrial processes. It helps improve the quality and life cycle of metal products by increasing their durability and resistance to factors such as chemical exposure, air pollutants, and mechanical wear and tear. However, note, while all finishing processes are effective, some such as vibratory finishing often yield better results than others. If you’re looking for the ideal polishing process, here is all you need to know about vibratory finishing and the benefits you incur when you deploy it.
What is Vibratory Finishing?
This is a mechanical metal polishing process that involves placing the metal parts into a vibratory deburring machine, also referred to as a tub or bowl. The machine then applies a vibration force to the parts, causing them to rub and grind against each other and as a result, become polished.
Advantages of Vibratory Finishing
While there are plenty of polishing methods, vibratory finishing is more predominant because of the reasons outlined below
The Low Operational Costs of Deburring Machines
One of the benefit you accrue from this type of finishing is that vibratory deburring machines for sale have an incredibly low cost of operation. They use the same media every time. The only recurring expense during the metal polishing process is usually the energy used to power the machine. Additionally, vibratory machines are highly compatible with automation and are easy to use. Therefore, the production process can be automated to make it less labor-intensive and as a result, cut on costs even more.
Vibratory machines also require relatively low maintenance. This means less cash spent on repairs and replacement, which further cuts on costs. Also, note that low maintenance means reduced downtime as you will no longer need to take production breaks to repair or replace the equipment. As a result, you significantly increase your production capacity.
Vibratory Finishing has No Oxide Layer
Nothing is as damaging to metal parts than oxidation. Unfortunately, most polishing processes, such as laser cutting, tend to add an oxide layer to the metal parts during polishing. This often leads to serious problems down the road and increases susceptibility to rusting and corrosion. Metal finishing using a vibratory machine changes the narrative as it only involves placing the parts into the tub and forcing them to polish themselves. Hence no damaging oxidation problems.
Multiple Uses
A vibratory deburring machine is a worthwhile investment because other than deburring, it can be used in an array of other metal finishing applications. These include surface smoothing, brightening, radiusing, burnishing, corrosion prevention, and brightening, among many others.
Prevents Injuries
Most metal polishing methods often leave behind large quantities of dangerous burrs and residues which pose an enormous risk of injury to your staff. There have been plenty of cases where employees handling the metal sheets coming from barrel or centrifugal finishing machines have suffered serious cuts due to the burrs.
Fortunately, a vibratory machine eliminates this risk. It essentially forces the metal sheets to rub and grind against each other, eliminating the sharp edges and awkward corners and leaving you with smooth and consistent parts.
Better Quality Products
As mentioned, a vibratory machine often eliminates the sharp edges hence no awkward corners. But other than that, it can achieve other metal finishing procedures such as cleaning and surface preparation, hence often results in a smoother surface. Also, the fact that it doesn’t add an oxidation layer to the parts means that metal coats can easily adhere to the surface, resulting in a high-quality appearance.
Increases Competitive Edge
A vibratory deburring machine usually cuts an entire load within a single pulse. This means shorter cycle times, and consequently, an increased production rate. This, combined with the fact that you get better-polished products and at the same time, cut on production costs, enables you to price your finished products appropriately. As a result, you gain a competitive advantage as you deliver premium quality products at a budget-friendly price.
The U.S. manufacturing accounts for approximately 18.2 percent of all industrial goods. It also generates approximately $2.33 trillion in revenue every year. This makes it the most active industry in the country. Therefore, the only way you can gain a competitive edge is by using high quality and effective production methods such as vibratory finishing.
