Entgraten

Entgraten, or deburring, is a manufacturing finishing operation that removes burrs—sharp raised edges or jagged protrusions—from parts produced by cutting, milling, forging, casting, or punching. Burrs can compromise safety, fit, assembly, and performance, create stress concentrations, hinder sealing surfaces, and harbor contaminants. Deburring thus improves usability, reliability, and aesthetics, and can enhance corrosion resistance and part life.

Burrs vary by process and material, including knife burrs on sheet metal, flash on castings, and edge beads on machined parts. Deburring may be performed as a separate step or integrated into the production line, depending on geometry and volume.

Common methods include:

- Mechanical deburring: grinding, sanding, brushing, tumbling, and vibratory finishing to remove material and produce a uniform edge.

- Mass finishing techniques: barrel or vibratory finishing for large batches.

- Thermal deburring: burning off burrs in controlled flame or plasma processes.

- Chemical deburring: chemical etching or acid-based processes to dissolve burr material.

- Electrochemical deburring: controlled removal of burrs via electrochemical reactions.

- Ultrasonic and abrasive blasting: using ultrasonic energy or media to clean and shape edges.

Materials and applications: metal parts (steel, aluminum, stainless steel) and certain plastics are commonly processed for automotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, and medical devices.

Considerations: process selection depends on geometry, tolerances, surface finish, production volume, cost, and environmental or regulatory constraints. Burrs are typically assessed by height or edge access, with tactile checks, go/no-go gauges, or profilometry.

Safety and environmental aspects: deburring reduces injury risk and improves part quality, but some techniques generate dust, noise, or hazardous waste that require appropriate controls.