Efficient Deburring: Techniques for Perfect Processing of Metal and Other Materials
Why is it necessary to remove burrs?
Stamped parts, stamped-bent parts, fine-blanked components, or die-cast parts—almost no workpiece can proceed to the next stage of production without deburring—the removal of unwanted splinters and excess material.
This is because burrs typically form on almost every workpiece during manufacturing processes such as casting, sawing, drilling, stamping, or milling—especially along edges. Burrs can impair part functionality and increase the risk of damage or injury during use. They also disrupt subsequent processing, finishing, and assembly, impacting the entire value chain.
Shot blasting and mass finishing technologies offer proven, highly effective solutions for removing these burrs. Mass finishing (vibratory finishing) is an ideal solution for deburring bulk components and offers a versatile and highly scalable solution suitable for both small- and large-batch production. These finishing systems can be directly integrated with upstream systems like die-casting cells or stamping machines. Typically, these are central systems that can handle a wide range of parts, even supporting fully automated workflows.
With the right combination of media and compounds, mass finishing can be used to deburr nearly all materials, including plastics and ceramics.
Shot blasting systems are also commonly used in industry for deburring or deflashing (when it comes to removing burrs from plastic workpieces). A shot blasting machine is often the preferred choice for extremely complex geometries, very hard materials, large burrs, or when fast, targeted processing with high part integrity is required.
What should you know about deburring?
Frequently asked questions
What is a burr?
Burrs are projections or irregularities in a material—such as sharp edges or splinters—that frequently occur during industrial manufacturing processes and machining operations. These protrusions must be removed after production—this process is known as deburring.
Although burrs or flash (especially common in casting) cannot be entirely avoided during production, their formation can be minimized—e.g., by using the right, well-maintained tools to create cleaner cut edges.
Where do burrs occur?
Burrs usually form at points on a workpiece surface where mechanical, separating, casting, or forming processes take place during the production and machining process. This applies to stamped parts, castings, machined components, sheet metal, sheet edges, profiles, and more.
How do burrs form?
The removal of protruding edges—especially from metal—is a critical process in many industries. Burrs are a byproduct of various industrial manufacturing methods like casting, sawing, drilling, stamping, fine blanking, shearing, or milling, regardless of the material used.
These burrs can interfere with functionality, hinder further processing, and pose safety risks. That’s why they must be removed from the workpieces.
Shot blasting and mass finishing (vibratory finishing) technologies have proven to be extremely reliable deburring methods for a wide range of materials, and are especially adaptable for parts with complex geometries and critical tolerances.
Can the formation of burrs be prevented?
Burr formation cannot be entirely avoided, but it can be minimized. This can be achieved by selecting the right machining methods, optimizing machine parameters like cutting speed and feed rate, and using high-quality, well-maintained tools.
Proper tool maintenance is crucial—sharp edges and clean molds produce smoother cleaner cuts with fewer burrs.
Which deburring methods are available for metal?
Mechanical metal deburring – For removing heavy burrs
When burrs are especially pronounced, pre-processing steps such as mechanical machining or grinding are often necessary. Tools used for mechanical deburring tend to leave secondary burrs, which can then be effectively removed through mass finishing or shot blasting.
Manual deburring, sometimes assisted by machines, is another option for removing heavy burrs. However, manual deburring is often inefficient and produces inconsistent results.
It’s important to note that manual deburring involves a high risk of injury. Appropriate protective equipment should always be used to prevent cuts and other injuries.
Deburring metal parts using mass finishing
Mass finishing (vibratory finishing) is a standard industrial process for deburring complex individual parts as well as batches and bulk components. It is one of the most efficient methods for consistently removing excess material with high precision and guarantees a high overall quality.
This process allows for uniform treatment of multiple parts at once, ensures repeatable results, and delivers high surface quality. A uniform and finely finished surface can reduce the need for further processing steps.
When using mass finishing (vibratory finishing) units as deburring machines, relative movements between media and parts—such as vibration and rotation—create a rounding effect. The degree of edge rounding can be precisely controlled through the process settings.
Another major advantage is its ability to remove burrs from hard-to-reach areas of a part. Even burrs on complex exterior geometries can be addressed through a customized process setup.
In industrial applications, mass finishing machines are often linked directly to upstream systems like die-casting cells or stamping machines. This allows parts to be deburred immediately after casting or stamping, reducing injury risks from sharp burrs.
Whether such direct integration is effective depends on the size and severity of the burrs. For this reason, deburring is often performed in autonomous, flexibly adjustable machines, typically in batches. A high level of automation is still possible this way.
Mass finishing often includes simultaneous degreasing or deoiling, as well as surface optimization—eliminating the need for separate pre-washing steps.
Shot blasting technology as deburring tool
Shot blasting systems are excellent for deburring thicker sheet materials such as profiles, tubes, formed parts, castings, or welded assemblies from metall and steel. After sawing, bending, or cutting, these parts often have large burrs along the edges.
A further benefit of shot blasting for edge deburring is that it simultaneously enhances the overall surface quality.
Shot blasting is also used for deburring lightweight die-cast components, such as housings. With nozzles and masking techniques, material removal can be more targeted and more aggressive than mass finishing—especially when using turbine shot blasting systems.
A particularly gentle method is high-pressure water jet deburring, using either plain water or water mixed with blasting media. These gentle wet blasting techniques are crucial in certain highly sensitive industries.
Thermal deburring
Thermal deburring is a specialized process primarily used for precise components like valve housings that require internal deburring.
Instead of mechanical processing, burrs are melted away using high-temperature gases.
What processes are available for deburring plastic?
Deflashing plastic using mass finishing
Mass finishing (vibratory finishing) also offers efficient solutions for deflashing plastic. It is commonly used after injection molding.
Material protrusions on items like eyeglass frames—often caused by incomplete mold closure—are reliably removed. Rubber parts can also be deflashed in mass finishing machines.
Examples include O-rings and sealing rings, where excess material is removed due to molding imperfections.
Deflashing plastic using shot blasting technology
Deflashing plastic parts is an important application of shot blasting. It is commonly used for injection-molded parts made of thermosets and high-performance thermoplastics, and for remove excess material.
The systems used are equipped with additional features for greater process efficiency. For example, dust and media particles adhering to the plastic parts can create problems during handling or use. This is often due to static electricity.
To counteract this "sticky" effect, a specialized antistatic agent is regularly sprayed into the blasting chamber. These systems are equipped with dosing units for this purpose.
Flash also occurs after overmolding electronics, which is removed using dedicated plastic deflashing equipment. These systems ensure gentle treatment of the parts, using more suitable softer and less abrasive media.
Use the Solution Finder to find the right system for your processing method.