What is deburring?
Deburring refers to the removal of burrs (unwanted material residues on edges or the parting surfaces of tools) that occur during production. Burrs occur during a variety of manufacturing processes, from milling to casting, punching, injection moulding and compression moulding of rubber, metal or plastic. Deburring is an important step in improving the function, safety and appearance of a component.
Why is deburring necessary in elastomer production?
When processing elastomers, thin burrs often occur on parting lines and mould lines. These can impair the sealing function, disrupt assembly processes or lead to problems in safety-relevant applications (e.g. in medical technology or vehicle construction). During deburring, these residues are removed mechanically, thermally or cryogenically. The deburring process is always selected individually according to the material, part geometry and surface quality.
Typical procedures are
- Mechanical deburring (e.g. by grinding, brushing, tumbling)
- Cryogenic deburring (freeze deburring) with nitrogen and abrasives
- Thermal deburring through controlled burning off of burrs
Mechanical deburring is carried out either mechanically or manually, particularly for sensitive components or complex geometries. Chemical deburring is rarely used for metal parts where the components are immersed in an aggressive chemical solution.