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Deburring

​There are many deburring processes, but the most common are mass-finishing, spindle finishing, media blasting, sanding, grinding, wire brushing, abrasive flow machining, electrochemical deburring, electropolishing, thermal energy method, machining, water jet deburring, and manual deburring.[5]

Manual

Manual deburring is the most common deburring process because it is the most flexible process. It also only requires low cost tools and allows for instant inspection.[6] Manual deburring is either done with tools like scrapers, files, sandpaper, stones and reamers or with handheld power tools that use abrasive points, sandpaper, or cutters similar to those used to deburr during machining.

Electrochemical

Electrochemical deburring is the use of electrochemical machining to deburr precision work pieces and edges that are hard-to-reach, such as intersecting holes. The process uses a salt or glycol solution and electricity to dissolve the burr. The electric current is applied with a specialized tool to reach the burr location. Burrs are removed in 5 to 10 seconds, while the rest of the work piece is unaffected.[6]

Thermal

Thermal energy method (TEM), also known as thermal deburring, is a deburring process used to remove hard-to-reach burrs or burrs from multiple surfaces at the same time. The process uses an explosive gas mixture to provide thermal energy to burn off the burrs. It is the fastest burr removal process, requiring only 20 milliseconds to remove a burr.[7]

The process starts by loading the workpiece into an explosion-proof chamber, which is then sealed and clamped with approximately 220 metric tons (240 short tons). The chamber is then evacuated of air and filled with an oxygen and fuel mix; this mixture is pressurized to 0.5 to 1.9 MPa (73 to 276 psi). An electrical igniter then ignites the mixture, which burns for approximately 20 milliseconds, causing all of the sharp corners and burrs to burn away. The peak temperature reaches 3,000 °C (5,430 °F).[7]