Flex Hones for Deburring

Deburring cross-drilled holes can be an expensive and time-consuming operation. Electrochemical deburring (ECD) and thermal deburring may be effective, but they require electricity or heat along with chemicals and cleanups. ECD transmits electrical energy from an electrode to an electrolyte chemical, which then dissolves the burrs. Thermal deburring requires a sealed, pressurized chamber and a mixture of combustible gases. When this gaseous mixture is ignited, the burrs are burned away. Sometimes, however, intense physical or chemical deburring can damage small parts.

Burrs are Worse
Damaging the parts you’re trying to deburr is bad, but failing to remove the burrs can be even worse. Burrs can cause part misalignments, affect dimensional tolerances, and limit the overall efficiency of machined components. In the case of cross-drilled holes, burrs can also block the flow of cooling fluids, lubricants, and gases. Typically, these cross-drilled intersections are found in critical auto parts such as engine and transmissions components. For automakers and automotive suppliers, leaving burrs in-place is not an option.

What’s the Best Way to Deburr?
Flexible honing uses a low-temperature abrading process to blend edges, improve surface finish, and remove cut, torn, and folded metal. Because they are oversized for any given bore, flex hones “pop out” and into the intersection, removing the burrs without heat or electricity and creating a clean radius at the transition edge.

Flex hones are also self-centering and self-aligning, which means that these honing tools do not require complex setups. The only “chemical” that is needed is a blend of honing and lapping oils. Cleanup involves using a cylindrical wash brush with a detergent and warm or hot water.

Although flexible honing is used in industry, there are also applications for the at-home hobbyist with a hand drill. That’s not the case for electrochemical deburring (ECD) or thermal deburring equipment, of course, especially if cost is a consideration.

Additional Reading
Design World – Tools Automate Deburring of Chamfered Through Holes

Manufacturing Engineering – Better Ways to Deburr