If you are into the manufacturing industry, then getting the right technique with mass finishing will be on your mind. One of the categories for mass finishing is the tumbling media. Most people face the problem of actually knowing when and how to choose the right tumbling media for mass finishing.
The truth is that selecting the right tumbling media for mass finishing can be easy if you know what you’re looking for. In this article, we will be looking at that in closer detail.
How to choose the right tumbling media
Let’s consider some of the tumbling media by breaking them into categories.
Ceramic Tumbling Media
When dealing with ceramic tumbling media, it is best utilized with hard metals. Also, heavy parts will be suitable for this type of tumbling media. When using fine threads, the ceramic tumbling media will also be able to peen. This is different from plastic tumbling media.
Talking about the plastic tumbling media, let’s discuss this closely.
Plastic Tumbling Media
This is more suitable for soft metals. Soft metals include aluminum and brass. Stringy materials will also be used by the plastic tumbling media to produce some of the best surface finishing you are going to see around.
Why the plastic tumbling media is liked is because of its smooth finish. However, don’t expect a lot of shine to come with this tumbling media.
Some of the other things that plastic tumbling media can help with are parts that have to undergo anodizing. It is also very good with keeping the colors of metal. However, as earlier mentioned, the plastic tumbling media does not work very well with heavy metals.
However, it is much lighter than ceramic tumbling media.
Other factors you should consider
There are other things worth considering when choosing the right tumbling media. You will have to consider the size and shape that will be needed to deburr. I would recommend that you choose sizes that do not get stuck in the holes. The shapes and recesses should also be able to stick to all surfaces.
You also have to consider how aggressive the tumbling media will be. Would you want to get a fine-cut or a coarse cut? Will it be a smaller tumbling media or a large one?
These factors can change the particular choice that you may make at the end.
So what should I do?
The first thing to do is to consider what exactly you want. Once you have been able to do this, things will certainly become much clearer. Then you will have to consider getting a tumbling media. Getting the right manufacturer will be crucial to get you to your goals.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! There are so many types of tumbling media out there. You’ll need to select one that is of superior quality and meets all your needs. While this might seem intimidating, it is definitely achievable. You just need to get it right. The tips above will help you do just that.
