Tag Archives: Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 2 – Preventing Drop Height Damage

Leave a comment

Ensuring drop heights are not too high when raw work pieces are loaded into and exiting a mass finishing machine is an important consideration.

Rosler has extensive experience developing mass finishing machines as well as material handling accessories to create a productive and efficient surface finishing system and prevent drop height damage. When evaluating drop heights and machine configuration needs, it is recommended that you consult an experienced equipment provider to help review key machine aspects and suggest solutions tailored to your unique needs.

Issues to Avoid

Falling from a loading container into a machine as well as moving from the machine into a post-process collection can cause damage to work pieces in the form of nicking and scratching caused by contact among work pieces as well as with the machine itself. More delicate and/or sharp work pieces, therefore, require extra consideration and evaluation of drop heights than sturdy and rounded components.

Continue reading Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 2 – Preventing Drop Height Damage →
Mass Finishing

Comprehensive Mass Finishing System Provides ‘Shear’ Results for Gardena

Leave a comment

Improved productivity, increased production capacity, better quality, and lower costs—a leading garden tool manufacturer tasked Rosler with developing a new mass finishing system to improve the deburring and polishing of garden shear knives.

Rosler provided a solution in the form of a tailor-made Keramo-Finish® process carried out within a double-batch centrifugal disc finishing machine. Known as the FKS 35.1 A2-So, the system includes fully automatic work piece handling and a two-stage process that deburrs and polishes stamped and laser-cut knives. Work pieces are subsequently dried in an energy-efficient rotary dryer and prepared for the next manufacturing step.

The Situation

For more than 60 years, the Gardena division of Husqvarna Group has developed a variety of gardening products and tools. The company’s broad product range includes innovative systems for irrigation, soil cultivation, and lawn, tree, and shrub care. Gardena products are used in more than 80 countries worldwide.

To ensure easy and simple handling, produce excellent cutting performance, and guarantee long service life, the Gardena’s shear components are produced with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. Stamping or laser cutting of the upper and lower knives followed by surface finishing is an important step.

Continue reading Comprehensive Mass Finishing System Provides ‘Shear’ Results for Gardena →
Consumables

New Compounds Double Process Water Usability

Leave a comment

Experienced manufacturers know that optimum mass finishing process water handling, dosing, and recycling can significantly reduce operational costs and improve finishing results.

With approximately 15,000 different products and the largest, continuously expanding range of media and compounds in the world, Rosler has the machines, consumables, and the experience to develop and maintain precise, efficient, and sustainable surface finishing processes.

Our latest innovation in the field of consumables, Long Life Compounds known as LF compounds, allows mass finishing operations to further optimize their process water cycles.

Advantages

LF compounds utilize a special combination of raw materials to guarantee a remarkably high degree of sanitary stability. So much so that, in most cases, the addition of biocides to process water can be eliminated or greatly reduced when using these new compounds.

Continue reading New Compounds Double Process Water Usability →
Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 1 – Selecting the Best Work Piece/Media Separation Method

1 Comment

One of the first considerations in finishing process development is the ability to effectively separate mass finishing media from the work pieces. If separation cannot be achieved, the process will not be viable. Signs of inadequate separation may include the need for too much manual intervention, lodged media causing downstream process issues, failure to meet finishing standards, or even product recalls.

For processes that do not require work pieces to be firmly mounted to fixtures in the machine, components and media loosely tumble in mass finishing processing bowls and troughs to achieve the desired finishing result. While this interaction is encouraged during processing, swift and precise media separation is crucial before work pieces move onto the next process step.

Rosler has more than 80 years of experience designing mass finishing machines and supplying consumables. Our expertise can help develop the best separation method and settings for your unique combination of finishing, work pieces, and media.

Separation Objectives

If not properly removed from work pieces, media carried out of the machine can cause disastrous results in automated, downstream manufacturing operations such as machining, assembly, painting, etc. The manner in which media and work pieces are separated matters as well.

Continue reading Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 1 – Selecting the Best Work Piece/Media Separation Method →
Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 7 – Processing Technology Evolves with Industry Advancements

4 Comments

Due to their precision, efficiency, and economy, mass finishing and shot blasting are an indispensable part of the finishing process for a wide variety of orthopedic implants in different manufacturing stages.

These flexible machines can handle general cleaning; deburring; surface smoothing after casting, forging, stamping, machining, and heat treatment; surface preparation for polishing or coating; and the placement of the final finish on all kinds of implants and medical devices.

With an experienced partner such as Rosler, these processes are also capable of adapting to emerging trends with proper testing and processing trials.

Evolving Technology & Outlook

Orthopedic implant manufacturers are at the cutting edge of medical technology. New materials and manufacturing techniques and technologies are constantly evaluated to improve the performance and longevity of the implants and reduce the manufacturing cost. Two examples are the increased use of ceramics as base material or coating and additive manufacturing.   

Continue reading Orthopedic Implants, Part 7 – Processing Technology Evolves with Industry Advancements →
Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 2 – Determine Imbalance Weight Settings for Consistent Results

Leave a comment

Specific mass finishing applications are developed through processing trials. Once defined, users should not deviate from the determined machine settings unless necessitated by work piece or process changes.

Rosler partners with clients to provide testing in our global Customer Experience Centers to demonstrate our capabilities on a specific work piece and to calibrate machine settings. Determining the exact machine settings requires considering and testing multiple factors.

Vibratory Systems

The most common drive systems in mass finishing are vibratory. This refers to actual finishing machines such as rotary, tub, and linear continuous flow vibrators as well as auxiliary equipment like screening systems, vibratory conveyors, buffers, etc.

In all of these cases, the speed of the vibratory motor or the electric motor driving the imbalance unit(s) may have to be adjusted as well as the setting of the imbalance weights.

Continue reading Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 2 – Determine Imbalance Weight Settings for Consistent Results →
Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 1 – Improve Machine Function with Proactive and Responsive Observation, Calibration

1 Comment

Even if the finishing media and compound/water are managed perfectly, without a well-functioning machine a mass finishing process is doomed to fail. Focusing on a few essentials will ensure that a mass finishing machine is performing as intended.

From machine settings to preventative maintenance and troubleshooting tips, Rosler has the experience and insight to keep mass finishing machines running efficiently.

The Right Machine Settings

The speed at which a machine is running is critical to the success of a finishing process.

If the machine is running too slow, the finishing results, deburring/edge radiusing, surface grinding, etc., might not be achieved at all or only after excessively long processing times.

If the machine is running too fast, the work pieces may be damaged by scratching, nicking, or bending. Excessive speeds will also cause the media to wear much faster without the benefit of shorter cycle times. Beyond speed, other machine settings must be taken into consideration based on the specific machine type.

Continue reading Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 1 – Improve Machine Function with Proactive and Responsive Observation, Calibration →
Mass Finishing

Non-Foaming Plastic Media Optimizes Finishing Process

Leave a comment

While the optimization of mass finishing processes mostly focuses on the machinery utilized, Dörfler & Schmidt Präzisionsfinish GmbH (Dörfler & Schmidt) has shown that a simple shift such as using a different media can create significant process optimization.

By switching to a new, non-foaming plastic media from Rosler, the post-processor achieved improved process stability, productivity, and efficiency.

Meeting Varied Needs

Founded in 1998, Dörfler & Schmidt offers a wide range of surface finishing including deburring, edge radiusing, surface smoothing and polishing, creating matte and textured finishes, descaling, and cleaning.

The family-owned business located in Kammerstein, Bavaria, works with automotive, machinery building, electronics, medical engineering, jewelry, and a variety of consumer goods customers.

Continue reading Non-Foaming Plastic Media Optimizes Finishing Process →
Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Process Water, Part 2 – Maintain Adequate Drainage to Protect Your System

1 Comment

Numerous functions and calibrations factor into developing a precise and stable mass finishing process. From media and compounds to work piece characteristics and processing times, successful finishing requires each process aspect to be carefully monitored and evaluated. When it comes to process water flow rates, poor drainage from the machine can cause quality control issues as well as equipment damage and costly downtime.

While simple in their function, drains play an integral role in regulating the flow of process water out of the machine. With the exception of intentional “flooding” of the process bowl for sharp work pieces, the same amount of compound and water entering the machine must be flushed out again. Otherwise, contaminants in the form of dirt, media, metal fines, and, frequently, oil will accumulate in the process water. Since this buildup can cause the finishing process to deteriorate and even collapse, mass finishing machines must have sufficient drainage!

With more than 80 years of experience, Rosler can expertly design mass finishing technology and troubleshoot issues to protect your system for the life of the machine.

Machine Features

Most mass finishing machines, including rotary and tub vibrators and drag‐, plunge‐, and surf‐finishers have special drainage screens built into their work bowls. High-energy centrifugal disc finishing machines differ since the “dirty” process water is evacuated through the gap between spinner and work bowl.

Drain types used in rotary vibrators.

Made from plastic such as polyurethane or stainless steel material, these drains must allow process water and media debris to be flushed from the system while retaining usable media mix and the work pieces.

Continue reading Mass Finishing Process Water, Part 2 – Maintain Adequate Drainage to Protect Your System →
Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 4 – Finishers Meet Standards, Face New Challenges

6 Comments

While choosing the right implant material is of utmost importance, as discussed in our previous Orthopedic Implant Series post, the significance of optimum surface treatment throughout the entire implant manufacturing process cannot be overstated. This relates not only to the right surface finish, but also total compliance with the specified tight dimensional tolerances.

The functionality of an orthopedic implant is determined by the perfect match between the various implant components. This depends, to a large extent, on the surface treatment procedure(s).

With extensive experience in the medical industry, Rosler is an expert in designing systems and solutions for the treatment of joint reconstruction implants utilizing shot blasting and mass finishing technologies.

Our Orthopedic Implant Series continues with an overview of the stringent finishing standards for orthopedic implants.

Continue reading Orthopedic Implants, Part 4 – Finishers Meet Standards, Face New Challenges →