ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED
Centrifugal Barrel Finishing
An important part of finishing your parts can take place in the process of centrifugal barrel finishing (CBF).
These centrifugal barrel machines are typically made up of two or four individual barrels (sometimes called drums) mounted on the outer edge of a turret. CBF machines operate much like a Ferris wheel with one-to-one ratio of barrel rotation to turret rotation. Each barrel is loaded 50 to 80 percent full of parts, water, media and compound. Rotation of the turret creates sliding force on the interior of the barrel. Parts and media make contact with each other and result in a finish that is consistent across the entire surface. The timing of the cycle is shortened compared to other types of finishing available because high centrifugal energy applied to the parts results in faster finishing time.
You would choose centrifugal barrel finishing for parts that need heavy burr removal. They are also used in burnishing, tumbling diecasting to break parts off a runner and heavy deburring with or without media added. Choose CBF if your load is too heavy to run in a vibratory machine.
CBF can be used in a wet or dry capacity. Wet barrel finishing is perfect for removing excess material and the polishing of parts, as it utilizes water and other liquids to remove burrs and cleaning and processing part surfaces. Processing metal is an example where CBF shines. Dry tumbling finishes your parts without the use of liquid additives. It is valuable for handling the finishing of delicate parts that could be damaged in a wet barrel situation. CBF in a dry capacity produces a higher finish and smoother surface like you’d see if it was hand buffed. The resulting finish is uniform also.
Examples of material used in centrifugal barrel finishing include titanium, gold, silver, aluminum brass, pewter copper, nickel, tin, palladium, plastic, glass and much more. In most cases, you can run multiple parts of the same material in one barrel, depending on size and material. Microfinish is your solution to parts finishing. From small components to large parts, our state of the art technology and professional technicians are ready to handle your job.
Here at Microfinish, we work with manufacturers from dozens of industries including aerospace and medical organizations. These businesses return to us for their parts finishing time and time again because our attention to detail is second to none. In today’s intricate and advanced machinery, there is no room for error. Microfinish stands by its award winning service. We’ve been finishing what you started since 1959. Discuss your finishing project with us today at 314-849-8181.
