Inovatec MachineryYour Best Ceramic Tumbling Media for Brass Manufacturer in China

Ceramic Tumbling Media for Brass

Different types of media with varying amounts of abrasive are available.

The light cutting ceramic deburring serves as an alternative for plastic tumbling media.

It is ideal for light deburring and surface conditioning for soft metal like brass.

The light deburring stone is used to remove dirt and oxidation layer on the brass surface.

Porcelain tumbling media gives a mirror-like shine on your brass parts.

Porcelain polishing media is widely used as the tumbler media for brass bullet shells, fittings, door parts, faucets, bolts/nuts, and connectors polishing.

You can use industrial rotary tumblers or vibratory tumbler machines as media tumbler for brass parts.

You can go for a large media tumbler or a small one depending on your part quantity.

Cylinder shape, triangle shape, and sphere shape polishing media are the most popular media.

Besides, brass, copper, and bronze parts can also be processed with the same media and process.

Ceramic tumbling media combined with mass finishing equipment is a cost-effective way to finish your brass parts.

The ceramic abrasive stone is available in all sizes, shapes, and compositions.

The long-lasting ceramic tumbling media reduces your operational cost in the long run.

Inovatec manufactures various sizes and compositions of tumbling media.

The extensive selections ensure the flexibility to select the appropriate grindstone for your application.

Inovatec has over 20 years’ experience in ceramic tumbling media for brass cases.

We select the right tumbling media to improve your brass part surface conditions at an affordable cost.

You can send us your pieces, and we will run the test free of charge.

After finishing, we send it back to you for inspection. Contact today and get an instant quote now!

Ceramic Tumbling Media with Brass FAQ Guide

1. Is ceramic media better than stainless steel tumbling media in cleaning brass?

Tumbling brass using ceramic media makes your brass parts to have a shiny look by improving their appearance.

Once you place your media, brass parts, and a burnishing compound to clean your brass parts, you can leave the tumbler to work on its own – it does not require supervision.

Ceramic media is robust.

You’ll have to take care when tumbling with ceramic media because failure to use the correct amount of burnishing compound will damage your brass parts.

We recommend wet tumbling brass parts for proper cleaning.

You can do wet tumbling brass with pins made of stainless steel.

The ceramic media needs to be wet enough to clean your brass parts.

Stainless steel media is equally as strong as ceramic media.

You can decide to use either ceramic or stainless steel media for cleaning brass parts’ surfaces.

The good thing with ceramic media is that it comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and angles.

The main aim of it all is to enhance the cleaning process of brass parts as they are also shaped differently.

The different sizes enable you to tumble larger parts and smaller parts as well.

They are available in different shapes like ceramic media balls, ceramic tumbling media triangles, ceramic pyramid tumbling media, etc.

As for stainless steel media, you can find them with a tiny diameter, which can clean even the smallest crevices and can pass through cavities without jamming them. When using stainless steel media, compounds can be used.

Stainless steel is an alloy.

You can tumble brass parts with it magnetically, depending on its composition, its manufacturing process, and the resultant crystalline structure – these are what determine the magnetism of stainless steel.

When brass is tumbled electromagnetically, the parts are hit with much sharp stainless steel pins until the parts become clean.

Both ceramic and stainless steel media can be used to clean brass surfaces thoroughly.

2. How long to tumble brass parts using ceramic media for polishing?

The tumbling process takes about two to four hours, during which minimal to no supervision is required.

If you decide to tumble for a slightly more extended period, your brass will not be harmed.

However, the process of running longer cycles will be uneconomical for you.

There are some factors to consider when checking for the duration of tumbling brass with ceramic media.

First, you will have to consider cycle times, which can be determined by the amplitude force applied by your industrial tumbler machine.

There are some tumblers that are more aggressive than others, depending on their horsepower, motor speed, etc.

Ceramic media is a robust surface improvement abrasive. When tumbling brass with ceramic abrasive, you will need to do slower and more gentle rotations.

Ceramic media can become too inflictive on your brass parts when rotated quickly. Slower and more gentle rotations are recommended.

To make the process more economical, you can use an appliance timer to aid in controlling the amount of processing time for every batch that you tumble.

3. Does the shape and size of ceramic media matter when tumbling brass?

Ceramic media comes in different ranges of sizes, from pyramids to sharp-edged star-like media, to balls (spherical) or even cylinders.

The most popular media are cylindrical ones.

The good thing with rounded media is that they don’t quickly wear out.

Also, they do not get lodged in metal parts compared to the star-like shaped ceramic media.

Also, the cylindrical and rounded media are popular because they do not chip easily compared to other shapes of ceramic media.

The shape and size of ceramic media when tumbling brass greatly matter.

You need to select the right size of the media, together with the appropriate shape. This will aid you to tumble your metal parts to the desired level efficiently.

The main reason as to why shape matters is that your brass parts may have a shape that doesn’t correspond to your media’s shape.

Incorrect media shapes make it difficult for your brass parts to be tumbled to the highest degree. The wrong shape might end up damaging your brass.

Further, size also matters. Your media size should not be too small. They will pass through metal parts’ cavities freely without cleaning.

Also, larger media will not help you – they will be ineffective. Larger media will not pass through metal cavities.

This ends up defeating the purpose of tumbling. Also, larger media will not get in contact with every spot on your metal parts.

Always select the right size, shape, and shape of your ceramic media for the best results.

Inovatec offers different types of tumbling machines for metal parts.

4. What is the process of polishing brass using ceramic media?

There are two primary ways of polishing brass using ceramic media.

You can decide to use either vibratory finishing or rotary tumbler finishing. The most popular method of polishing brass is by using the industrial vibratory tumbler.

For our case here (brass parts), we are going to review wet polishing as it is widely used to polish softer metals like brass casings.

You’ll first place the brass parts, media, and a polishing compound on the tumbler’s bowl.

Make sure your tumbler is strong enough to bear the load you put in its bowl.

You will have to consider cycle times, which can be determined by the amplitude force applied by your tumbler.

There are some tumblers that are more aggressive than others, depending on their horsepower, motor speed, etc.

Ceramic media is a robust surface improvement abrasive. When tumbling brass with ceramic abrasive, you will need to do slower and more gentle rotations.

The best results are seen when your tumbler is at least 75 percent full.

You’ll also need to make sure that you have used the correct amount of burnishing compound that will keep the media wet enough to roll over the cycles, while not damaging the brass parts.

Avoid using too much burnishing compound because it will not help.

It will not make your parts shine or come out cleaner. Instead, it may overflow out of your tumbler.

Just use the correct amount of burnishing compound for the best results.

Then, run the vibratory tumbler for approximately 2 to 4 hours. The process requires minimal to no supervision.

You can decide to let your brass parts tumble for longer cycles. It will not affect your brass parts. This, however, will not be very economical on your end.

After the tumbling process, you have to offload your brass parts from the tumbler.

Rinse the brass parts with hose water to remove burnishing compounds and remove any media that may have lodged in the metal parts’ cavities.

To dry your brass parts manually, simply lay your newly tumbled brass parts on a large towel and fold it in half and then wipe the parts by hand.

Afterward, you can put your towel outside under the sun to dry.

You can also decide to dry the brass parts on a dryer, which needs to run for at most one hour to ensure that your parts are dry and ready for use.

You can also use an air compressor for half an hour to blow out any liquids that may still be present in the cavities of your brass parts.

The air compressor will automatically blow any liquids that are on the surface of your brass parts.

5. What are the benefits of using ceramic media over any other media?

First, you cannot afford to ignore the fact that ceramic media comes in a variety of angles, shapes, and sizes that increase its efficiency during tumbling.

Ceramic media is robust and lasts for longer or more cycles compared to other media, for example, plastic, corn cob media, walnut shell media, etc.

Ceramic media is also fast cutting, thanks to its robust nature.

When cutting brass with ceramic media, the process will be easily and quickly completed.

Brass is a softer metal that does not require too much effort to cut when using such robust media.

Ceramic media is also aggressive during the deburring process.

When you use the correct media shape, size, and angle, the deburring process of your metal parts will be very efficient and easy.

The primary reason why you need to use the right media size, shape, and angle is to reduce process times for more efficiency.

Ceramic media also produces a beautiful surface improvement that is shiny and appealing to the eye.

The best part about using ceramic media – it is inexpensive to buy.

6. How can I clean brass casings using ceramic media without damaging them?

It is possible to clean brass casings without damaging them.

You will need to consider the strength of your tumbler and the amount of burnishing compound that is required.

Also, you’ll learn how to dry the parts after the tumbling process effectively.

You’ll first place the brass parts, vibratory tumbler media, and a polishing compound on the tumbler’s bowl.

Make sure your tumbler is strong enough to bear the load you put on its bowl. The best results are seen when your tumbler is at least 75 percent full.

Make sure that you have used the correct amount of burnishing compound that will keep the media wet enough to roll over the cycles, while not damaging the brass parts.

Avoid using too much burnishing compound because it may overflow out of your tumbler.

Just use the correct amount of burnishing compound for best results.

Then, run the vibratory tumbler for approximately 2 to 4 hours.

You can decide to tumble your brass casings for slightly more extended periods. It will not negatively affect your casings.

After the tumbling process, you should offload your brass parts from the tumbler.

Rinse the brass parts with hose water to remove burnishing compounds and remove any media that may have lodged in the metal parts’ cavities.

Then, you can dry the parts manually by simply laying your newly tumbled brass parts on a large towel and fold it in half and then dry the parts by hand.

You can also use an air compressor for half an hour to blow out any liquids that may still be present in the cavities of your brass parts.

7. Can I dry tumble brass with ceramic media?

Dry tumbling brass with ceramic media is not advisable.

Ceramic media is robust and can damage your brass parts when you fail to handle it correctly.

You need to tumble brass using ceramic media and the right amount of burnishing compound to make sure that the media is wet enough.

Avoid using too much burnishing compound because it may overflow out of your tumbler.

Use the correct amount of burnishing compound for the best results.

Then, run the vibratory tumbler for approximately two to four hours.

You can decide to tumble your brass for slightly longer durations.

It will not negatively affect your brass parts.

After the tumbling process, you will be required to offload your brass parts from the tumbler.

Rinse the brass parts with hose water to remove burnishing compounds and remove any media that may have lodged in the metal parts’ cavities.

You can then dry the brass parts manually, that is, using a towel, or you can decide to use an air compressor to blow out any liquids in the brass parts’ cavities.

Once dry, you can use your brass for your intended purpose.

8. Can I reuse my ceramic media after tumbling brass?

After using ceramic media for tumbling, deciding whether to reuse it or do away with it becomes quite tricky.

It will be uneconomical to throw away media that can be reused.

Also, it will be uneconomical to use media that does not clean your brass thoroughly.

Here’s what you need to know about ceramic media:

Ceramic media is not a one-off material – that is, used only once and thrown away.

You cannot dispose of ceramic media after a single use, as they are still good to go for a few more runs.

You’ll only dispose of it once it loses its abrasive quality – that’s when it becomes useless.

Also, you have to find appropriate methods of disposing of such used media.

You cannot just dispose of the media like regular trash.

The reason behind that is because after tumbling, the media may be contaminated – this is harmful to the environment.

For example, media may clean parts with paint or even metal parts that are poisonous like lead.

That becomes harmful to both the environment and people living near you.

You only need to wash the used ceramic media, then let them dry.

Make sure that you dispose of used water and compounds well.

They, at times, may carry toxins, depending on what you tumble.

Ceramic media is robust.

You can reuse it many times.

When the media is worn out and becomes small, you can continue reusing them, if you have smaller metal parts to tumble.

9. Is the process of brass with ceramic media expensive?

Polishing brass with ceramic media can become inexpensive when you use the correct shape, size, and angle.

You also have to put into consideration how long your tumbler will run, the amount of burnishing compound you will use per cycle, and the cost of the media itself.

Ceramic media tumbles brass parts in two to four hours to make them clean and appealing to the eye.

You can decide to let the parts be tumbled for more extended periods. Your brass parts will not be affected negatively.

However, such decisions are the ones to determine whether the process is economical or not.

Also, consider the cost of disposing of the burnishing compound.

Some of these compounds are not harmful and can be disposed of in the drain.

However, others are toxic and require extra cash to get rid of because of their hazardous nature to human life and the environment.

Ceramic media is reusable.

Even if it wears out and becomes smaller, it can still be reused, provided its abrasive nature is still intact.

Once the media loses its abrasiveness, it is should be disposed of well.

Conclusion

You can invest in any of the metal polishing tumbler machines from Inovatec to increase the efficiency of your cleaning and polishing process.

The choice of the deburring tumbler will depend on your application.

The most commonly used mass finishing machine is the vibratory tumbler bowl.