Deburring and cleaning with high-pressure water jet deburring system

A new high-pressure water jet deburring system can deburr and clean economically in a single work step. It can remove burrs and chips as well as welding beads or layers of paint and scale.

With the new FlexJet HD high-pressure water jet deburring system, system manufacturer Karl Roll has developed an efficient solution for deburring and cleaning in a single work step. Flitter burrs and clamping chips can be removed just as effectively as welding beads and layers of paint and scale. Individually adapted nozzle systems ensure a high degree of workpiece flexibility combined with high precision for reproducible results.

More stringent requirements for particulate cleanliness result in higher demands on component cleaning and deburring. This applies in particular to machined parts such as components for hydraulic and pneumatic systems, housing components, nozzles, components for gearboxes, engines, steering and brakes. Workpieces for medical technology applications can also be affected. In order to achieve the required cleanliness specifications in a stable manner, cleaning the workpieces alone is usually no longer sufficient. This is because burrs and flakes that are not removed during cleaning can become detached in subsequent processes and recontaminate the component. Reliable deburring of the components is therefore a must in order to meet particulate cleanliness requirements in a stable and economical manner.

Due to hard-to-access areas such as internal and intersecting bores, deep and small bores, undercuts and blind holes, deburring machined components is a challenge. Karl Roll GmbH has developed the FlexJet HD series for these tasks. The highly flexible and efficient high-pressure water jet deburring system enables deburring and cleaning with approx. 500 bar water pressure in a single work step.

The rotary table integrated into the treatment chamber of the new system with pneumatic connections for automatic workpiece clamping devices is designed for components with a diameter of up to 450 mm and a maximum height of 550 mm. The maximum workpiece weight including clamping device is 100 kg. These dimensions make it possible to process, for example, an engine block for a four-cylinder engine or several small parts. The water jet generated in the high-pressure unit with a pressure of up to 500 bar is directed through a quadruple nozzle system with automatic nozzle switching. For a precise and reproducible result, the workpiece can be rotated and moved along the X-axis as required during the process. At the same time, the nozzles can be moved along the Y and Z axes. This highly targeted machining option not only reliably removes adhering flash from areas that are difficult to access, such as cross and deep-hole bores, but also removes and discharges clamping chips, welding beads and scale layers. The system therefore ensures optimum results even with geometries and contaminants where conventional processes reach their limits. The water jet can be directed over a large area for deburring and cleaning larger surfaces. The high kinetic energy also removes stubborn contamination such as welding residues and silicates.

State-of-the-art control technology is used to position the CNC axes, which are also used in machine tools. The process sequence can be programmed offline using G-code and a teach-in solution via a 15-inch control panel. There is also the option of programming via teach-in with a handheld terminal. These solutions enable quick and easy programming of the contours to be cut and very precise positioning of the areas to be deburred without any special programming knowledge.

The burrs and chips detached during the deburring and cleaning process are reliably removed by an effective filter system consisting of a pre-filter and fine filter. The process water can therefore be recirculated without any problems. In addition, a safety filter is integrated upstream of the high-pressure pump.

Thanks to the high variability of workpieces and application options, the FlexJet HD enables increased requirements for particulate cleanliness to be met efficiently and stably. The low media consumption and energy efficiency also contribute to the high cost-effectiveness of the new system for high-pressure deburring and cleaning. Trials can be carried out in Karl Roll's technical center. (OM-3/24)