Inovatec MachineryThe leading industrial rotary tumbler manufacturer based in China

Industrial Rotary Tumbler Information & Introduction

Are you searching for a cost-effective solution for metal finishing and deburring?

The area where customers can use an industrial rotary tumbler is massive.

It doesn’t matter if you have forged products, machined parts, sand casting products, or anything else, you can process it in an industrial rotary tumbler. Moreover, you can even use it as a professional rock tumbler. It will be a cost-effective solution than a vibratory rock tumbler.

You can invest in big capacity machines if you are looking for a large rock tumbler. In general, you can go from a rough part to a beautiful and smooth one in 2-3 steps.

One of the perks of a barrel tumbler is that it can process a lot of parts at once. You can even release the stress from the parts as well. The slow speed of the machine aids in keeping the parts safe from damage.

Another great thing about the industrial rotary tumbler from Inovatec is that it can utilize both the wet and dry process of tumbling. The dry process is suitable for relatively soft materials like wood or plastic while the wet process is perfect for metals.

Inovatec has become the one-stop solution for the mass finishing industry. We not only specialize in rotary parts tumblers, but we also have all kinds of other surface finishing machines and respective media.

Send us your inquiry and get free advice now!

Tumbling Barrel Finishing Machine FAQ Guide

1. What is an industrial rotary tumbler?

A rotary barrel machine is one of the oldest mass finishing machines in existence. Instead of a tub or bowl, there is a barrel where you put the parts. These barrels are usually hexagonal or octagonal.

Once you put your workpieces and the media inside the barrel, you can start the machine. The barrel will rotate and perform deburring, descaling, burnishing, etc. tasks. Now, the industrial counterpart of the rotary deburring tumbler is enhanced to work more efficiently and quickly.

These machines cost very little compared to the other modern machines. Although the processing time is slow, the results are phenomenal.

2. How does an industrial rotary tumbler work?

Barrel tumblers are primarily used for smoothing, deburring, polishing, burnishing, and many other mass finishing tasks. The goal is to make the parts ready for use or prepare them for future surface treatment.

All necessary components of the process are poured into the barrel and the motor is started.  Water, compound, parts, and the vibratory tumbler media are the primary components that go into the rotary tumbling process.

Once the motor is started, the barrels rotate and the components inside the barrels mix together to create friction. The friction results in material removal and finally, a finished surface.

It takes quite some time to process a batch of parts with a rotary tumbler. That’s where industrial rotary tumbles come into play. These tumblers work more efficiently and on a larger scale.

The final result depends on a lot of factors. Most notably there is gravity, the weight of the parts, angle of the barrel, the media used, the speed of the rotation, etc. combinedly determines how your finished products are going to look.

3. Are there different types of rotary tumblers?

While the basic principle is similar, there is a wide variety of rotary tumblers.

It can be based on automation, barrel count, and virtually anything else.

But you’ll see one common thing and that is most of the machines are capable of batch processing.

The most commonly found rotary tumblers include batch processing machines, in-line machines, automated machines, and single-pass processing machines.

4. What makes an industrial rotary tumbler more effective?

Let’s take a look at the rotary tumbling machine for metal parts and plastic parts. The machine is the overall hardware system that does the job of processing.

To understand the machine, we have to look at the components that make the machine.

4.1 Barrel:

It’s the area where the workpieces, the media, the compound, and water are poured and rotated by an operator.

The inside of the barrel is often lined with HD90 PU. But it can be steel, rubber, neoprene, PVC, wood, or even vinyl.

The lining works as a protection for the inside of the barrel. As the barrel is destined to perform numerous cycles of rigorous deburring and polish, it’s important that the insides are protected.

There are usually two types of barrels. The closed barrels are great if you don’t want any splashes and ensure maximum protection for your operator. It keeps the workpieces safe inside the system and keeps them from flying out as well.

The open barrel rotary tumblers, on the other hand, have an open end. The closed-end is attached to the driveshaft where the rotation is generated.

4.2 The Motor:

The machine gets the necessary power to rotate the barrel from the motor. The motor usually has variable speed to let you control the rotation greatly.

4.3 Electrical controls:

Electric controls are a huge part of the industrial rotary tumblers. The controls are what help the operator to well control the machine. It’s a cluster of buttons and dials to control different aspects of the machine. It can be attached to the machine or in a separate location.

4.4 Water:

If you’re going for the wet tumbling process, which is the conventional way to go, you’ll need water.

There are dedicated lubricants that go in a rotary tumbler but in most cases, you can get away with plain water.

Water in the system has a few important roles. It cleans the residue from the surface of the parts and provides lubrication to keep the heat down.

If the residue is not cleaned instantly, there is a high chance that the parts will come out dark.

The water is a great cushion for impacts as well.

4.5 Media:

No tumbling is possible without media. Media is the abrasive or non-abrasive substance that rubs against the parts to remove material from the surface.

4.6 Compound:

The compound can be a wet or dry element that works as an additive.

The purpose is usually to resist rust and corrosion.

It helps the media as well during the actual tumbling process.

5. What are the techniques to use with a rotary barrel tumbler?

In order to get the best results out of any mass finishing method, it’s crucial to use the right procedure and equipment at the right time. As for industrial rotary tumblers, there are two ways to go.

5.1 Wet Tumbling:

The wet tumbling process is done with water. It’s as simple as that. Half of the barrel is filled with media, workpieces, and components and then the water is added.

If you want fast cutting, add less water. If you want a finer result, pour more water but remember that it will take longer. As for burnishing needs, the total load and the water should be equal in quantity.

5.2 Dry Tumbling:

There is no use of any liquid in the dry tumbling process.

Dry tumbling is usually done with organic media like corn cob tumbling media or walnut shell media.

You can go for coarse or fine walnut media.

Don’t forget to add the regular media as well.

The organic media will work as the media to remove residue from the parts. Sand is also a very good organic media.

6. Does the media play any role in the rotary tumbling process?

It’s more like the media plays the most important role in the entire process.

No matter which machine you choose, the ultimate cutting and polishing are done using the media.

One type of media cannot carry out all the operations.

You have to use different media for different tasks.

Whether you’re looking forward to deburring, polishing, or burnishing, the media is going to influence the result significantly.

The general parts-to-media ratio is 1:3, parts=1 and media=3. But the ratio is going to change depending on what you are trying to achieve.

For example, if you have fragile or large workpieces, you’ll need to use more media than usual.

7. What are some common media used in the industrial rotary tumbler?

When it comes to barrel tumblers, the choice of media is going to be versatile. You can use almost all media in these machines and it will turn out great. But you need to focus on the parts’ size, shape, and model.

There are recesses, holes, and crevices in a rotary tumbler. The media must be small enough to flow through the holes. The larger you go in size, the faster and more aggressive the cut is going to be. In the case of smaller media, you’ll end with a finer finish but at the cost of time.

Aluminum oxide tumbling media is a good choice if you don’t have to focus on the shape. But if you do, you should go with the ceramic media. Ceramic media is a great general-purpose media that can create an even surface very fast.

Then there comes plastic media – lightweight and strong. Works great with delicate parts, specially die-cast aluminum.

8. How are rotary tumblers and vibratory tumblers different?

When talking about mass finishing, you can’t skip vibratory finishing machines. Rotary tumblers and metal vibratory tumbler machines are the two most used and popular mass finishing methods. Both of these machines show amazing potential in deburring, polishing, burnishing, or any other mass finishing tasks.

But there are some fundamental differences between the two. What are those? Let’s take a look.

8.1 Media Choices:

In most cases, a vibratory bowl finishing machine will use ceramic media. Ceramic tumbling media is high in density and cuts faster than most others. It’s a great choice for deburring and polishing hard metal parts, e.g., stainless steel.

As for industrial rotary tumblers, plastic pellets seem to be a perfect choice. These pellets are easily spread around and they take all the beatings from the rotation. It works as a cushion and can prevent damage.

8.2 Toughness:

Rotary tumblers are stronger than vibratory polishing machines. They might be old but as you know, old is gold.

The strength makes rotary tumblers a great choice for hard metal polishing and deburring, even more than the vibratory finishing equipment.

8.3 Cost:

Vibratory finishing machines are pretty modern which means they come equipped with more features. But rotary tumblers have been around for very long and they are very simple machines.

As a result, vibratory finishers are significantly more expensive than industrial tumblers. They work fast as well as wear down more vibratory finishing media. On the other hand, rotary tumblers take longer to do the same job. As a result, the media don’t wear down aggressively.

With that said, you need to justify your needs by comparing both machines side by side. You need to focus on what you need and what you can do. Then decide carefully and let us know.

9. What are some tips to effectively use an industrial rotary tumbler?

• Don’t forget to wash the machine, parts, media, and barrel once a cycle is done.
• Dry the workpieces with air or any other industrial methods like heat or spin-drying.
• Don’t let the height of the media and parts go over 60% of the barrel or below 45%.
• Don’t forget to evaluate the number of workpieces needed, the size of the media, the shape of the media, etc.
• Use 1/3 of the barrel instead of going fully loaded.
• Decide how many cycles you need by closely inspecting the parts after each one. A general rule is that heavier workpieces require more cycle time as opposed to smaller workpieces.
• Keep the speed of the rotary tumbler in check. The slower you go, the better finish you’re going to get. The faster you go, the more aggressive of a cut but a drop in finish quality. The decision is yours.
• The slope and slide are very important aspects of a rotary tumbler. If the media don’t slide on the slope smoothly, the entire batch can be ruined. Make sure that your media are flowing freely. If not, adjust the settings and try again.

10. What can I expect from an industrial rotary tumbler?

Rotary tumblers offer a wide variety of tasks. Let’s take a look at some of them.

10.1 Cleaning:

One of the most simple jobs of an industrial rotary tumbler is to clean the parts. Dirt, dust, rust, etc. can be accumulated on the parts’ surface due to wrong storage methods, transportation, or stains. Whatever the case is, a rotary tumbler will clean it.

10.2 Deburring:

Deburring is the process of removing material from the parts’ surface to make it smoother. It also breaks edges to create a nice and round corner.

10.3 Blending:

Blending is done mostly on machined parts where the machine marks are visible. While smoothing the surface, the machine marks are removed with the blending process.

10.4 Polishing:

The shine and luster found in metal workpieces are achieved thanks to the polishing properties of an industrial rotary tumbler.

11. What are the industrial applications of a tumble barrel machine?

There are many commercial uses and applications of barrel polisher machines in various industries and specializations. Such include:

• Jewelry lapidary polishing and tumbling
• Brass bullet shell polishing
• Metal fabrication
• Making construction tools
• Polishing and deburring mining equipment
• Agriculture equipment polishing
• Electronic polishing
• Automotive parts deburring and polishing
• Medical equipment polishing and deburring

12. What are the advantages of mass finishing with an industrial rotary tumbler machine?

• Faster and more cost-effective than hand
• Batch processing possible
• Easy to operate and low labor cost
• Possible to relieve the stress from parts
• Parts become strong and more resistant to fatigue

13. What are the limitations of using a barrel tumbling machine?

Although these machines are great, there are some limitations to industrial rotary tumblers.

• Take longer to process a cycle
• Components might get damaged if not operated properly
• Generally loud
• Extracting the media from the workpieces is a pain

14. How can I keep the machine in good shape for a long time?

The best way to use any equipment for a long time is to maintain it properly.

How to do it? Well, why don’t you start with the owner’s manual?

As a manufacturer, we include all the necessary information you need to know about the machine and how to maintain it. So, you should start from there.

Let’s take a look at some of the regular maintenance scenarios.

Pre-operation Inspection:

It’s as basic as maintenance can get. Don’t just go and start the new machine. Make it a habit to do a light check and see if everything is working properly. Look for any signs of damages. It will keep your industrial rotary tumbler going for ages.

The Health of the Drainage System:

Don’t let the drains get clogged. Keep an active eye on the drains of the rotary tumbler. If the drains are clogged, the residue won’t clean properly and your next cycle can be a nightmare.

The Inside Lining:

It’s very normal that the PU lining on the inside of a rotary tumbler will wear out. But the wear has to be even. So, that’s what you need to look for. If you see any uneven surface, contact the manufacture.

Keep Media Level in Check:

If you’re just separating the workpieces and keeping the media in the barrel 24/7, make sure that you don’t let the media level go lower than the recommendation. Proper media level is crucial for the lifespan of the machine and the media itself.

15. What should I look for in an industrial rotary tumbler?

Before you choose a rotary tumbler, it’s important to know what to look for. Let’s see the basic and most important criteria.

Build and Design:

There are a number of designs and models when it comes to rotary tumblers. You should check each feature very carefully and evaluate whether you need it or not. If you’re not sure, you can always contact Inovatec and our experts will help you out.

Safety and Compliance Standard:

Make sure that you double-check whether the machine you use matches the safety standards of your country. If you have an energy standard as well, make sure to check that too. Bottom line is, don’t let anything slide from you because it’s going to make you suffer in the long run.

These machines tend to be noisy as well. So, don’t forget to check your sound standards.

Capacity:

Rotary tumblers offer a huge range of sizes for you to choose from. As these machines are very simple and ancient, it’s wasn’t a problem to make them large. As for Inovatec, we offer industrial rotary tumblers up to 1000L.

Drainage System:

Having a good drainage system is key to nail every cycle you ever perform in the rotary tumbler. The drainage system lets the water out and flushes the system before the next cycle is started. So, if water remains, the next batch will lose its credibility.

Contact us for information or help regarding your industrial rotary tumbler. Please feel free to send us an email for order or advice. We are available 24/7.