There are different ways of deburring metal that require very different types of equipment. Perhaps the most popular method used is mechanical deburring. This process involves grinding the burrs from the workpiece using abrasive belts and brushes to create a smooth surface, free from imperfections. A belt sander is often used as a metal trimming machine, as it is capable of processing metal workpieces quickly.
Another method of burring in use today involves an electrochemical process. This is a more expensive burring solution, but it delivers an accurate finish and allows for a highly efficient production process. Salt or glycol-based solutions are used with an electrical current to remove burrs efficiently — often within 10 seconds of the process beginning.
Deburring can also be carried out using thermal energy. This process is the fastest and the most efficient of all the options, as it removes all the burrs on a workpiece in a single stage. It involves exposing the metal to a combustible mixture of gasses within a sealed chamber.
A less common method of burr removal, which isn’t used widely in Europe, involves the use of liquid nitrogen to freeze the burrs before they are “blasted” off with pressure. This method is called cryogenic deburring.