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Published Editorial Deburring Under Control At Easton Sheetmetal
From this point of view, even a tool in pristine condition leaving a neat square edge is leaving a burr, in that the edge is still sharp. This is a positive advantage to some clients but sub-contractors often aren't aware of their customer's preferences until a batch is failed and returned due to "sharp edges". Best then to smooth off all edges and ensure that no ragged areas are left.
 This is all well and good if your punching operation plods along and the operator can fill in by hand deburring an earlier batch within the cycle time. However, when, like Easton Sheet Metal your latest metal production cell is a state of the art, self-feeding Amada Vipros 358 King & LKI 250M Sheet Handling System running through the night unattended cutting at up to 1200 hits (therefore edges) per minute, something a tad more sophisticated is required. Says Managing Director Andrew Easton "It isn't just a question of preparing punched parts for subsequent handling, square edges and burrs cause problems with paint adhesion. With such demanding customers as ours, a quick scrape with a file just won't deliver the consistency we require in the time available."
Easton Sheet Metal's philosophy must be right somewhere as they are currently commissioning a further 8500 square feet of production space, 50% more than current levels.
It was natural therefore that Easton turned again to Ellesco for their advice. Having run one Grindingmaster for 12 years, mostly in excess of its design capacity, with no ill-effects, Ellesco were asked to re-assess Easton's needs. With access to the world's largest range of wide belt machines, the possibilities that Ellesco had to offer were comprehensive to say the least.
Easton's choice boiled down to two options, trade-up to a heavier "all singing and dancing" machine or augment. With now two CNC punch presses running, round the clock in some cases, the comfort factor of a second machine won the day. Andrew Easton again takes up the story "It wasn't that we had any qualms in relying on a single Grindingmaster, our 14 year old machine which we purchased second-hand has never missed a beat, but two machines gave us the flexibility to utilise two sets of labour when it suited us. Deburring does not earn money, it only costs if you get it wrong, and maintaining labour flexibility is an important factor in keeping costs down."
 So,
what specification was needed? The old machine was of the simple
belt linisher type that was ideal for grain finishes and punch burr
removal but Easton's
now wanted more, especially in smoothing off edges. Technology had
naturally moved on and the latest models, recently completely redesigned,
boasted a host of upgrades. Essentially, however, Easton were able
to retain the graining function they
liked but add to it in the form
of a powered, oscillating brush operation to smooth off edges and,
if required, give brushed finishes.
Accordingly a new Series 2000, twin-head Grindingmaster was delivered, commissioned and immediately put to intensive use. And what of the old machine? This was completely refurbished at Ellesco's workshops. With Grindingmasters up to 25 years old, and other machines, inherited by acquisitions within the Ellesco group, dating back to the '60's, in-house repair and refurbishment is an ever-growing requirement in Ellesco's wide belt business.
The last words belong to Andrew Easton "We are in the business of sub-contract sheet metal fabrications, not the machinery market. I don't have time to investigate an entire machinery sector. I expect the people that come to talk to me to be metal working specialists, to offer me the right equipment for the job and to back up their products with readily available ancillary equipment, parts and service. In the field of sheet metal deburring, only Ellesco fits the bill."
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