Tag Archives: Media

Additive Manufacturing

Are Your Additive Polymer Parts Breaking During Post Processing?

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Growing utilization of additive manufacturing for volume production of plastic components has increased the demand for cost-efficiency and high-quality surface finishes. That’s why AM Solutions, a brand of the Rosler Group, has further expanded its product portfolio with the development of a new media type for post processing of plastic components.

Designed specifically for work pieces printed with MJF and SLS powder-bed-based technology, AM Solutions’ new media permits the safe, cost-efficient finishing of 3D printed components with different shapes and sizes in one single process step and with absolutely repeatable results. This eliminates the time-consuming and costly media changes for different processing stages.

In combination with an understanding of respective printing processes, the new media mix generates a perfect, finely structured, and highly homogeneous surface finish.

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Mass Finishing

Non-Foaming Plastic Media Optimizes Finishing Process

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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.

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Shot Blasting

Wet Blasting Equipment & Media, Part 5 – Careful Media Selection, Additive Use Impact Results 

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Wet blasting and dry shot blasting often use similar media to achieve the desired processing result.

Unlike dry blasting that only uses a solid abrasive media, wet blasting processes use a slurry of water with the shot blasting media. This greatly cushions the impact energy on the work pieces, providing gentler, yet effective results for delicate work pieces. The achieved surface finish and appearance will also differ between wet and dry processes, even when the same media type and size are used.

With more than 80 years of experience worldwide, Rosler can supply both the machines and media best suited for your wet blasting needs.

Common Media Types

As long as it is heavier than water and not water soluble, practically any media used for dry blasting can be used for wet blasting.

It is important to consider the usefulness of the media compared to its cost. While a cheaper or longer-lasting media may be available, it may also require additional processing time to accomplish the desired surface finishing. Selecting the most appropriate media for your process requires balancing initial costs with overall results.

Continue reading Wet Blasting Equipment & Media, Part 5 – Careful Media Selection, Additive Use Impact Results  →
Mass Finishing

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

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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 →
Mass Finishing

Polishing Processes Benefit from Pre-tumbled Media

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Media selection is key in any surface finishing process since these consumables are essential “precision tools” required to achieve the specified finishing results.

Whether you are developing a new mass finishing process or changing process parameters including different work pieces, process times, and requirements, partnering with an experienced expert will help you in evaluating all process parameters.

With decades of experience developing mass finishing machines and manufacturing media and compounds, Rosler is an excellent source for guidance. In some cases, pre-tumbled media may be suggested.

What is Pre-tumbled Media?

After production, some types of pre-polishing and polishing media are pre-tumbled by the manufacturer. This process breaks sharp points and corners off individual media pieces to create smoother edges.

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Consumables, Mass Finishing

Avoid Media Glazing to Prevent Process Inefficiencies, Breakdown

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Media plays an essential role within a mass finishing process. Whether ceramic, plastic, or polishing and drying, optimal media mix and conditions must be maintained to produce precise finishing results.

“Glazing” occurs when the surface of the media becomes contaminated with metal fines and other debris from the work pieces. As a result, the media becomes very shiny and frequently looks like a piece of aluminum, brass, steel, zinc, etc.

Because glazed media completely loses its original surface properties, it no longer has any grinding effect. Instead, glazed media creates a sort of uncontrolled burnishing. It also retains dirt and other particles which are then deposited on the work pieces.

The image above depicts (from left) media states include clean, heavily glazed, partially cleaned, and fully cleaned.

Rosler has more than 60 years of media production experience. In that time we’ve seen—and corrected—countless examples of ineffective surface finishing as a result of media glazing.

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Consumables, Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Media, Part 3 – Why Discharging Undersized Media, Maintaining Media Levels Are Crucial

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Mass finishing processes are effective because the motion of media against work pieces transforms the surface of the work pieces. The deflashing, descaling, edge rounding, polishing/smoothing, cleaning/oil removal/degreasing, and/or grinding effects change the surface of the media itself along with the work pieces.

As a result, media wears down over time, losing its shape, size, and effectiveness. Known as undersized media, this worn media must be discharged and replaced with fresh media to ensure proper processing and safety.

Whether a process uses ceramic, plastic, or polishing and drying media, Rosler stresses the importance of monitoring media levels and the mix of new and worn media for precise and safe mass finishing results.

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Consumables, Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Media, Part 2 – Tips for Measuring Media-to-Work Piece Ratio

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Maintaining the right ratio of media to work pieces is essential to achieving precise, repeatable results in mass finishing processes where work pieces and media loosely tumble in the processing bowl.

Ensuring that the work pieces are properly embedded in the media allows the media to perform its designated grinding or polishing function as well as cushioning the work pieces from damage caused by part-on-part impingement.

Building upon our last post on the series about navigating the complex media selection considerations, Rosler’s team of experts now discusses tips for determining the best media-to-work piece ratio.

Basic Rule of Thumb

The standard ratio of media to work pieces is around 3-to-1 by volume – meaning that the mix is 3 parts media to 1 part of work pieces – but the exact ratio varies based on the aggressiveness of finishing required as well as the work piece’s material, shape, size, weight, and delicacy or lack thereof.

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Forge & Foundry

Forge & Foundry, Part 12 – Media and Compound Selection, Effluent Handling Drive Success

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Regardless of the industry, the selection of media and compounds utilized in mass finishing can elevate or hinder finishing results. The handling of effluents – used process water – also factors into a process’ efficiency and end results.

With more than 80 years of experience, Rosler understands the demands of the forge and foundry industries specifically and how to achieve precise and consistent finishing results by combining the latest technology, well-designed machines, and consumables.

This installment of the Forge & Foundry Blog Series highlights how careful media and compound selection along with proactive handling of effluents assist in producing mass finishing efficiencies.

Ingredients for Success

Media and compounds are more than just “rocks” and “soap” thrown into a mass finishing machine. Instead, these consumables are sophisticated tools that can make a mass finishing process a success or a failure.  

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Consumables

Consumable Innovations Improve Finishing Outcomes

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True to our mantra of “finding a better way…” Rosler Metal Finishing is constantly working to optimize our consumables. These improvements and additions to our offerings improve process stability, cost efficiency, and productivity of surface finishing processes.

From media composition and compounds to wastewater handling, Rosler is dedicated to constant enhancement in the area of consumables as well as our mass finishing and shot blasting technology.

Media

One such example is Rosler’s development of a plastic media with the grinding and non-chip characteristics of ceramic media. Minimizing the risk of work piece damage, this range of high-density plastic media exactly achieves this frequently requested combination.

High-density plastic media
High-density plastic media
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