Edge flash formed on various molding and die castings are often removed by mass finishing equipment.  Castings are usually trimmed in a die.  The resulting thin fins and flash around the edges are removed, and radii which could not be built into the die are generated. Residual sand, cold shots and similar surface imperfections can also be removed during processing.  The type of metal, ceramic or plastic and the condition of the workpiece will determine type of media and specific process required.  Soft metallic or resin bonded media are usually preferred for processing zinc and soft aluminum castings, with buffered liquid compounds or soft abrasive compounds to avoid gouging or impingement of parts.  Metallic media or ceramic media with a low cut rate are used on harder metals, in conjunction with liquid or abrasive compounds, depending on the degree of surface refinement required.

 

At Latem, we employ blast deflashing and ultrasonic deflashing. 

 

Blast deflashing is a traditional way to deflash metal pieces. The blasting equipment sprays metal shot or grit on the part surface using high pressure and speed. The metal shot abrades flash away from parts. This method can be used for all materials and parts with a low surface appearance requirement because  deflashing process produces a rough surface. The pros of this method are that the deflashing equipment can be designed for an automatic line with a transport belt. It also can be used as a manual spray gun. The flexibility of this method makes it suitable for mass production and small handling. The con to this method is that it may not be suitable for parts with a high aesthetic surface requirement due to its strong abrasion of the part surface.

 

Ultrasonic vibration deflashing comes from ultrasonic cleaning technology. The ultrasonic energy generated by an ultrasonic generator is transmitted to mechanical energy that forces water into a very high vibration mode that, in turn, deflashes the part.

 

The ultrasonic vibration method is suitable for metal as well as plastic components. It is not appropriate for rubber material because of the material’s toughness. The benefit of this method, is that the deflashing effect for plastic materials shows good deflashing results without damaging the part surface. The disadvantage is that it has issues with some materials (rubber), and in some cases is not strong enough to remove the wanted flash. 

 

To recap:

 

Blasting deflashing is an effective and efficient method for parts with low surface quality requirements. It can be used for all types of materials. Ultrasonic vibration deflashing is an efficient and comparatively economic way to deflash. It can be used for metal and plastic parts that are not too soft.

 

To learn more about blasting deflashing, please contact us.