How Do You Cut and Deburr Tubes? - Tube End Preparation
Nov 04, 2021
How do you cut and deburr tubes?
There are several ways you can approach cutting and deburring tubes. At Vita, we mainly rely on three tried and true processes to efficiently achieve the desired outcome: Abrasive, Electrochemical (EC or ECM), and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM).
1. Abrasive
Abrasively cutting and deburring is best for small volume quick jobs with liberal tolerances. It relies upon a spinning cutoff wheel to cut the tube and a secondary deburring process is then completed, either manually or with blasting media.
2. Electrochemical (EC/ECM)
The Electrochemical process is a good match for high-volume jobs with relatively tight tolerances. The cut and deburr processes take place simultaneously delivering consistent parts throughout the entire run. This is completed on a CNC EC saw made specifically for this type of work.
3. Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM)
Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) uses a series of high-frequency discharges that erode the material in a burr-free manner. Volumes can vary for this process and selecting this method over others depends on factors like wall thickness of the tube, secondary or tertiary operations post cut and deburr tolerances and more.
If edge breaks are required, we can tumble the parts with proper media post deburr to achieve a specified radius. We can also chamfer the ends in a secondary lathe-based process if necessary.
These are the three primary ways to achieve an acceptable cut and deburred tube all of which is done in-house, right here at Vita Needle. There are other processes like the supported shear method which require custom dies and related mechanical supports. This is less common and is best for very high volume and long-running jobs, where the tooling costs can be justified.