Why Deburring Metal Is Important

Deburring is an essential process in the manufacturing of metal parts. When lathes, lasers, and other cutting or punching tools form sheet metal into parts, the process can leave behind tiny imperfections called burrs. These are little beads or flakes of metal that can make the part non-standard and dangerous to use. Cutting metal also leaves sharp edges. These are two of many reasons why deburring metal is important.

How Is Deburring Done

Depending on the size and shape of the metal parts, deburring can be performed by a vibratory deburring machine, a rotary tumbler, machines that use brushes, or even by freezing. These processes remove imperfections and smooth rough edges.

Deburring Improves Safety

Workers can injure themselves when working with metal parts with rough and sharp edges. Deburring reduces the risk of injuries and the cost of lost time on the job.

Deburring Provides Consistency

Precision is critical in the formation of metal parts. Consistency is important, as it ensures all parts fit and perform as they should without deviations. Machine deburring ensures that parts meet specifications. This kind of standardization isn’t possible with manual processes.

Deburring Reduces Manufacturing Costs

Deburred parts reduce wear on machinery used to assemble, coat, paint, or weld parts down the line, speeding the manufacturing process and reducing maintenance costs. Consistent parts with smooth edges and no flakes or beads of excess metal can be processed and assembled more quickly.

Deburring Helps Paint and Coatings Adhere

Coatings and paints don’t stick well to rough edges. Rounding the edges through a deburring process gives a better result when applying coatings or paint, reducing flaking and ensuring that parts receive a full coating to protect them from corrosion.

Parts that are laser cut end up with an oxide layer on the cut edges. The oxide also inhibits the adhesion of paint and coatings. Deburring is as necessary for laser cut parts as it is for other types of cuts, as it removes the oxide layer and rounds sharp edges.

Protects the Finish of Fabricated Parts

Deburring also can provide a smooth, polished finish to metal. Burrs and rough edges can scratch metal when it’s stacked for storage or delivery. To maintain the aesthetic appeal of polished metal, deburring is a necessary step in metalworking.

Deburring metal parts is important to ensure the quality, consistency, beauty, and functionality of manufactured metal parts. Deburring improves workplace safety for employees who must assemble, position, lift, or deliver metal that has been cut, stamped, bored, bent, or rolled.