Precision deburring removes raised areas (burrs) that are created during the machining of close-tolerance parts. Unless these surface imperfections are removed, problems with sealing or assembly may occur. Whether the machining process involves milling, drilling, or turning, deformation caused by stretching and produces burrs. Even precision machining with CNC equipment can create raised areas that are hard-to-remove and that won’t meet a customer’s quality requirements.
What’s the best way to deburr precision machined parts?
Cryogenic deburring from Nitrofreeze® is a proven post-machining process that removes burrs without affecting part geometry or surface finish. Only the burrs are removed – nothing else. First, the machined parts are cooled to cryogenic temperatures so that the burrs become brittle. Next, the parts are impacted with non-abrasive polycarbonate media so that the burrs break off. Part edges are maintained without rounding and little to no dust or residue remains. This video shows our process.
How does cryogenic deburring compare to manual deburring?
Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring is a safe, clean burr removal process that provides a smart alternative to manual deburring operations. Some machine shops still use hand tools to deburr parts in-house, but manual deburring is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Plus, workers can only deburr one part a time – and with sometimes inconsistent results. By contrast, cryogenic deburring is a fast, cost-effective, repeatable process that can deburr tens or hundreds of parts all at the same time.
What about deburring precision machined parts with hard-to-reach features?
Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring is especially effective at removing burrs from blind holes, through holes, and challenging features such as undercuts, grooves, and slots. To accommodate part-specific challenges, we use non-abrasive media that is sized from 0.015” (smallest) to 0.060” (largest). Prior to deburring your parts, Nitrofreeze® measures critical dimensions and performs sampling. We can save your “recipe” for future batches of your part. We can also create low-cost fixtures if you need them.
Which types of materials does cryogenic deburring support?
Cryogenic deburring from Nitrofreeze® can be used with commodity plastics like polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and with specialty polymers such as Delrin®, Teflon®, Tefzel®, and Torlon®. This list doesn’t end there, however, because this precision deburring method is also used with ABS, CTFE, DAP, HDPE, PEEK®, PPS, Viton®, and nylon. Metal parts made of berrylium copper and precipitation hardening (PH) stainless steel can also use cryogenic deburring.
Which industries and applications use cryogenic technology for precision deburring?
Cryogenic deburring is suitable for precision machined aerospace parts that need to meet critical tolerances measured in thousands of an inch. Medical devices that are made of implantable PEEK® have also used Nitrofreeze® cryogenic deburring, as have ventilator parts for the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Cryogenic burr removal is also a good choice for industrial, automotive, and many other applications that require precision deburring.
Are some deburring jobs too large or too small? And what about turnaround times?
No precision deburring job is too large or too small for Nitrofreeze®. Whether your need to deburr a small volume of parts or production lots measured in the hundreds of thousands, cryogenic deburring can save you time and money over hand deburring. At our facility in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA), most orders are processed within two days of receipt.
What’s the best way to get started?
Ask Nitrofreeze® to review your requirements for the precision deburring of machined metal or plastic parts. The consultation is free of charge. If your part is a viable candidate for cryogenic deburring, we can perform sampling to demonstrate our process. To gets started, contact us at the phone number and email listed below.
(508) 459-7447 x109 | info@nitrofreeze.com