Deburr Gears and Sprockets

Manufacturing is an industry that is becoming more competitive every year. In the U.S. alone, manufacturing is a multi-trillion-dollar industry that sees much competition from other countries. No longer are U.S. manufacturers only competing against other similar companies in the U.S. (even, sometimes, in the same state). Rather, U.S. companies are vying for manufacturing business against companies in China, Japan, Germany, Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. And out of these top manufacturing countries, the one that is gaining on the top spot held by the U.S. is China. And in each of these countries, manufacturing superiority and manufacturing jobs are directly tied to gross domestic product (GDP).

The quest for manufacturing superiority often begins on the production room floor. Although there is much debate among manufacturing business owners and managers about how to gain and hold a competitive edge, there is certainty in the use of automation and the reduction of waste products as two key components of operational efficiency. Down on the production floor, where gears and sprockets work ceaselessly to move raw materials toward machining that turns out finished products (or product components), a mechanical advantage is gained from a routine effort to efficiently deburr production line components and maximize the life of manufacturing equipment.

A burr, by most definitions, is a thin ridge (or area) of roughness that has been produced by the cutting or shaping of metal or plastic products. Burrs are an unwanted product of the manufacturing process – one that may jam mechanisms, create wear on moving parts, and even negatively impact product quality. Without a routine maintenance program meant to deburr machine components along the line, a manufacturing company may be setting themselves up for a build-up of burrs and unexpected work stoppages due to interference’s along the production line. In severe cases, a lack of a deburring procedure may also result in injuries to workers. Each of these burr-related manufacturing problems is easily-preventable by a routine deburr program.

There are many techniques and applications available to deburr a gear or sprocket of any type. The end result is a production line component that is free from burrs and will continue to perform as expected or turn out consistent, repeatable results without error. The need for competent deburring solutions has never been greater. In turn, those in the deburring industry have responded to the escalating needs of the manufacturing industry and developed special expertise in gear and sprocket deburring techniques. Each deburring solution can be addressed by one of a number of machines that deburr with consistent results. But why is a routine deburr program so essential for manufacturing?

A report on the state of manufacturing in 2009 stated that U.S. manufacturers cranked out goods worth nearly $1.7 trillion. The better part of this astounding number was in production machinery and equipment, industrial supplies, non-auto consumer goods, motor vehicles and parts, and aircraft and parts. Each one of these products is manufactured by a company in an industry that relies on solutions to deburr parts along their manufacturing production line.