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- How to Prevent Secondary Burrs: Tool Requirements for Secondary Burr Removal in Automated Deburring Lines
How to Prevent Secondary Burrs:
Tool Requirements for Secondary Burr Removal
in Automated Deburring Lines
In automated deburring, one of the key challenges in achieving consistent quality is removing secondary burrs that can form after the primary deburring process.
Carbide rotary burs and abrasive brushes are effective deburring tools; however, depending on the machining conditions, they may leave secondary burrs caused by material rollover after the primary burr has been removed.
Because automated production lines allow little or no manual adjustment by operators, tool characteristics that can consistently remove secondary burrs are essential for maintaining stable product quality.
For this reason, a finishing process using rubber grinding wheels for secondary burr removal and surface finishing is sometimes considered as a post-deburring operation.
Characteristics and Challenges of Common Deburring Tools
Various tools are used for metal deburring, including carbide rotary burs, conventional grinding wheels, and abrasive nylon brushes.
Carbide rotary burs provide high material removal rates and are effective for quickly removing large burrs. However, because they tend to make aggressive contact with the edge of the workpiece, edge rollover or excessive edge removal may occur depending on the machining conditions.
Abrasive brushes provide a softer cutting action and are less likely to cause excessive material removal. On the other hand, they may not have sufficient cutting capability to remove hard or heavy burrs completely.
Even when burrs appear to have been removed during machining, fine secondary burrs are sometimes discovered later during cleaning or assembly processes.
Why Do Secondary Burrs Occur?
Secondary burrs are not caused simply by incomplete burr removal.
When a tool contacts an edge with excessive force during machining, metal that is not completely removed may be plastically deformed and pushed outward, leaving a small projection that becomes a secondary burr.
In addition, when a tool becomes loaded (clogged), its cutting performance decreases. Instead of cutting the material cleanly, it tends to deform or smear the metal.
Operators often recognize this condition by feeling that the tool "cuts less efficiently than usual" or that "the cutting resistance has increased."
In automated production lines, however, these subtle changes cannot be detected by operators. As a result, progressive tool wear or loading may go unnoticed, leading to inconsistent machining quality.
If secondary burrs remain, they may cause chips to remain after cleaning, interfere with assembly, or become visible as surface defects after plating or coating processes.
Common Countermeasures and Their Limitations
One common approach to preventing secondary burrs is to optimize the tool replacement cycle based on tool life.
However, reviewing only the replacement interval or adjusting machining parameters may not always be sufficient to eliminate variations in finishing quality.
Comparison of Deburring Tools
| Comparison Item | Carbide Rotary Bur | Brush (Abrasive Nylon Brush, etc.) |
Rubber Grinding Wheel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading (Clogging) | May occur depending on the application | Relatively unlikely | Rubber deformation helps discharge chips efficiently, making loading less likely. |
| Finish Quality | Edge rollover may occur | Fine burrs may remain | More likely to achieve a uniform finish |
| Workability | Requires careful process control | Relatively easy to handle | Excellent conformity to the workpiece |
| Durability | High | Depends on operating conditions | Self-sharpening action helps maintain performance |
| Repeatability | Affected by machine conditions | Dependent on workpiece geometry | Stable and consistent |
Why Rubber Grinding Wheels Are Well Suited for Secondary Burr Removal
A rubber grinding wheel is an abrasive tool that uses rubber as the bonding material to hold abrasive grains.
Its rubber elasticity allows the wheel to conform to the workpiece during machining, making it easier to perform both grinding and polishing in a single process.
Unlike conventional grinding wheels, which have a porous structure, rubber grinding wheels have a non-porous construction.
Instead of relying on pores, rubber grinding wheels discharge chips through the deformation of the rubber bond, helping to suppress loading and maintain stable cutting performance.
In post-deburring finishing operations, the priority is often not aggressive material removal but the consistent removal of fine secondary burrs remaining around the edge.
For this reason, rubber grinding wheels are sometimes used as a secondary finishing process following carbide rotary burs or abrasive brushes.
Examples from Manufacturing Sites
In finishing processes after deburring, the occurrence of residual burrs and uneven machining may vary depending on the tool used and the machining conditions.
As tool wear or loading progresses, changes in tool contact and machining sound may become noticeable, providing useful indicators when checking tool condition.
In addition to controlling spindle speed and contact pressure, it is important to monitor the occurrence of residual burrs and uneven finishing caused by tool wear.
Evaluation Points for Automated Production Lines
In automated production lines, it is important to control the following factors:
- Consistent contact pressure
- Spindle speed control
- Tool wear monitoring
- Contact time control
- Monitoring quality variations
- Identifying causes of production line stoppages
Particularly in mass production, it is important not only to manage tool life but also to identify the point at which residual burrs or uneven machining begin to occur, allowing the optimum timing for tool replacement to be established.
Summary
When selecting a deburring tool, focusing solely on burr removal capability may result in quality issues during the finishing process.
By introducing a finishing process that includes secondary burr removal after primary deburring with carbide rotary burs or abrasive brushes, it may be possible to reduce the impact of residual burrs on subsequent cleaning, assembly, and surface treatment processes, helping to improve overall process stability.
Daiwa Rabin's elastic rubber grinding wheel, DAIWA RABIN, is used for secondary burr removal and finishing operations after primary deburring. Utilizing its rubber elasticity and self-sharpening action, it provides an option for improving machining stability and process repeatability.
If you are experiencing issues such as secondary burrs, inconsistent quality, or poor repeatability in automated production lines, it is important to evaluate not only the tool itself but the entire machining process. We are happy to recommend suitable tools based on your machining conditions and workpiece geometry. Please feel free to contact us.
