Inovatec MachineryYour Best Rotary Barrel Tumbling Machine Manufacturer in China

Rotary Barrel Tumbling Machine

The application of a tumbling barrel machine is vast.

Whether you have sand castings, forgings, rough machined parts, or stamping parts, you can get your parts deburred or burnished.

Also, you can make rock tumbling in the industrial tumbling barrel.

Usually, from a raw component to a beautifully finished piece, you need to go through 2 or 3 steps.

Also, a barrel tumbling machine can process a lot of parts in one batch. You can also give stress relief to your pieces at the same time.

Besides, the slow tumbling speed (10-30 rpm) prevents parts from damaging and impacting each other, especially for fragile parts.

Barrel tumbling machines for metal parts are suitable for both wet and dry tumbling.

The dry method is typically for soft parts (e.g., wood, plastic parts) final polishing with natural media.

Over the years, the Inovatec industrial rotary tumbler has been well received by mechanical workshops throughout the world.

Here are the reasons:

• Industrial rotary parts tumbler with a safety cover to protect operators when engine running
• Stepless VFD to control the barrel rotation speed
• Durable polyurethane lining for prolonging machine life
• Automatic process timer control
• The forward and backward movements of the barrel

Inovatec barrel tumbling machine has the olive-barrel design (triple-action polygonal) and also hexagonal barrel design.

The olive-barrel shape machine makes significantly faster action than the standard horizontal barrel tumbling machine.

With our 20+ years’ experience in industrial tumbler barrel manufacturing, we can guarantee you the best quality barrel polisher deliver to you.

We dedicate to product details and ensure the machine works for years beyond the warranty term.

Besides, we not only offer a rotary drum polishing tumbler machine but also a complete technical solution, including tumbling media and polishing compound.

Send us the inquiry and get free advice now!

Tumbling Barrel Finishing Machine FAQ Guide

1. What is a tumbling barrel machine?

A tumbling barrel machine is a popular type of machine that is used in finishing workpieces.

The machine is distinguishable from other types of finishing machines with its barrels within where the parts are processed.

These barrels, usually six or eight in number, rotate at preset speeds to grind, deburr, descale, deflash, burnish, and polish workpieces in mass.

Also called rotary barrel tumblers, they cost less, easy to operate, and usable with delicate parts like jewelry.

Although its processing is usually slow, its usage guarantees an excellent surface finish of workpieces.

2. How does a tumbling barrel machine works?

Barrel polisher machines are usable for smoothening, polishing, and several other finishing operations.

These operations are essentially geared towards making workpieces ready for immediate use or further surface treatment.

Once workpieces and other finishing elements – such as water, compound, and media – are slotted or placed into the barrels and the machine is turned on, the barrels rotate or oscillate.

This rotation causes the mass to gather on one side of the barrel, sliding up and down the barrel.

As the mass slide against each other, the needed finishing starts to take place.

The continuous rolling, tumbling, and sliding action helps to create the necessary friction that ensures the desired finishing results.

The quality of the finishing process depends on several factors such as gravity, the weight of workpieces, etc.

Just as well, the ratio of media and compound to workpieces, speed of rotation, etc., all matter to the finishing result.

3. Are there different types of polishing drum machine machines?

Rotary parts tumbler machines typically vary in terms of automation, number of barrels, among other metrics.

More commonly, barrel polisher systems vary in terms of their batch processing type.

There are batch machine types, in-line machine types, single-pass processing types, and automated batch finishing machine types.

4. What are the important parts/elements that make an industrial tumbler machine work successfully and satisfactorily?

The Machine

This refers to the interconnected hardware or machine parts that make up the industrial tumbler machine itself. Some of its most important components are:

Barrel:

This is the part where media, water, and workpieces are loaded and rotated at an operator-specified rate.

Their insides are usually lined with either steel, wood, rubber, neoprene, urethane, PVC, or vinyl.

The lining helps to cushion the workpiece-barrel impact as they come in vigorous contact, helping to extend the lifespan of the barrel. Barrels are of two types: open and close.

Closed barrels have waterproof doors that seal access to the insides of the barrel on both sides. This keeps the workpieces firmly positioned for effective mass finishing.

Opened barrels, on the other hand, are open on one end and close on the other. Meanwhile, the closed end is mounted on a drive shaft for effective rotation.

Motor:

This is the part of the machine that supplies the mechanical power needed to spin and rotate the barrel.

Electrical controls:

Like all other industrial machines, industrial tumbler machines have systems through which the machine is controlled.

Such a control panel may be stand-alone or included on the body of the machine.

Water

Most mass finishing machines use water to lubricate and remove finishing residues – rotating tumbler drum machines are no exception.

The absence of water makes workpieces become darkened because there won’t be anything with which residues of the finishing process can be washed away.

Aside from cleaning purposes, water also serves protective purposes as it cushions the impact of parts as they hit each other.

Media

These are solid materials that put the much-needed friction on workpieces.

They do so consistently by “rubbing-off” on workpieces.

Compound

These are dry or wet substances that help protect the machine itself from corrosion and rust.

In addition, it aids the media in the cutting, polishing, and overall finishing process.

5. What are the two different techniques for finishing workpieces through a barrel polisher machine?

Generally, the attainment of good finishing results on all finishing machines depends on the right choice and use of the procedure, media, and compound.

Talking of procedures, there are two finishing procedures when it comes to barrel finishing machines.

They are wet tumbling and dry tumbling.

Wet Tumbling

Here, after each barrel is filled up with parts, compound, and media to about half of its entire capacity, water is added.

The lower the water level, the faster the cut is. The more water is used, the finer the treatment but the slower its cutting rate.

For burnishing purposes, the water should be approximately equal to the load.

Dry Tumbling

What distinguishes dry from wet tumbling is that water or other liquids are not used in the finishing process.

Instead, sand or other non-liquids – e.g. organic materials such as corn cob grit or walnut shell grit that are perhaps more absorbent than water – are used to enhance the discharge of dirty residues from the machine compartment.

6. Does the media play any role in the proper functioning of the tumbling barrel machine?

There is no way media can be separated from the successful running of any mass finishing machine.

The reason being that one media can’t by itself carry out all types of mass finishing.

Different media are loaded into the machine from time to time to do any cleaning, burnishing, polishing, etc.

The media is any solid material that is loaded into the machine to provide the needed friction on workpieces for the attainment of the desired finishing results.

Usually, the media to workpiece ratio is 3:1. But in the case of large or fragile workpieces, the more the media, the better.

7. What media hints can come in handy in the usage of a barrel polisher machine?

In barrel finishing machines, the material, size, and holes in the workpieces usually dictate the size and type of media.

The media has to be small enough to flow freely through holes, crevices, and recesses and not get stuck.

Generally, the larger the media, the faster the cut; the smaller the media, the finer the cut.

Aluminum oxide media is used for burr removal and honing where shapings aren’t so essential.

If the goal is to achieve uniformity of shapes and sizes, ceramic media is the popular choice.

This is because they cut faster than aluminum oxide media which cuts slowly.

Preformed plastic media which are lightweight and durable are otherwise great for machining aluminum, die-cast, and delicate workpieces.

This is because they leave little or no impingement on workpieces.

Another hint is to target a media to workpiece ratio of three or five parts per media (3: 1 for steel, 5: 1 for magnesium or aluminum).

8. What distinguishes tumbling barrel machines from vibratory finishing machines?

Vibratory machines and barrel polisher machines are two popular mass finishing machine types.

They are both useful for simultaneously refining numerous quantities of workpieces in a short time.

Both types are good for polishing, abrading, descaling, radiusing, among other mass finishing processes.

However, there are many differences between these two equipment choices in terms of operating processes, usages, and so on.

Here’s more insight into their respective differences:

Media Choices – In vibratory finishing machines, usage of ceramic or preformed plastic materials is comm.

The reason behind this is that ceramic media have a higher density.

This makes them effective for polishing and/or grinding hard metallic workpieces such as those made of stainless steel.

For industrial tumbler machines, plastic pellets media choices appear to be the favorite..

The pellets spread around the barrel to absorb the impacts between workpieces’, reducing chipping and bruising.

Toughness – Rotary parts tumbler machines are more aggressive in their workings than vibratory finishing machines.

This makes them ideal for finishing harder metal pieces that require hard, aggressive finishing.

Even if the rotary parts tumbler has an adjustable control for its aggressiveness, the machines remain best suited for tougher mass metal finishing tasks.

Cost – Vibratory finishing machines are considerably more expensive due to their substantial space requirements, i.e., they are usually large in size.

Barrel tumbling machines, on the other hand, cost less and take longer to do the same job as vibratory systems.

The reason behind this is that barrel tumbling machines slowly wear out media, compared to vibratory finishing machines.

As you must have seen, both vibratory and barrel tumbling finishing machines have their respective advantages and limitations.

It is therefore recommended that you have to consider these pros and cons alongside the workpiece before making a choice between these two machines.

9. What are the tips and tricks for successful finishing using a barrel tumbling machine?

Post-finishing workpiece washing and drying

After a successful run in a barrel tumbling finishing machine, the workpieces, media, and barrels should be rinsed in freshwater.

Workpieces should then be dried by any of the several industrial drying methods available.

It could be placed under hot lamps or spin dry, or any other drying means at an operator’s disposal.

Rinsing and drying the media after every use helps to prevent contamination or undesirable results in subsequent finishing processing.

Keeping an eye on barrel load

The combined height of both workpieces and media should not be any less than 45% or go higher than 60% of the barrels’ capacity.

This is to prevent the churning out of poorly finished workpieces because as the load height increases, the finishing action suffers a slowdown.

The optimal workpiece to media ratio is 3:1. But in large or fragile workpiece finishing, the ratio may go as high as 6:1.

Workpiece balancing

The number of workpieces that are loaded in a barrel shouldn’t be a product of guesswork.

Workpiece loading quantity is determined by the size of each barrel, the workpieces’ fragility, shape, size, and weight.

But as a basic rule, parts generally make up 1/3 of the total barrel load.

Essentially, the lesser the parts in the barrel, the better the finishing results.

The more workpieces are there in a barrel, the cheaper the mass finishing process is – with reduced finishing quality.

As a general rule, simple shapes such as squares and balls can be successfully barrel-finished with little fear of damage.

If workpieces are of simple shapes and similar sizes, it is possible to run more of it at a go, than one would process complex workpieces of the same quantity.

Similarly, larger quantities of lighter workpieces can be barrel tumbled in one operation, as opposed to heavier workpieces.

Speed

The RPM of the barrel tumbling machine is very important.

The reason being that slow speeds will not generate enough friction between the workpieces to attain the desired finishing results.

Depending on the size of the barrel, the best finishing results are achievable from 28 to 30 rpm.

Extremely higher speeds result in faster finishing action but poor finish, extremely slow speed guarantees slow finishing.

Medium speeds guarantee safe and quality finishing of large or sensitive workpieces.

Slide and Slope

A standard barrel tumbling machine for metal parts’ efficiency to polish or deburr workpieces depends on two things.

These are the ability of media and workpieces to glide down the slope formed by gravity.

If the slope folds too fast, the workpieces can suffer partial damage.

Generally, the slide and slope speed of the barrel tumbling machine for metal parts depends on various factors.

It includes the barrel’s diameter, the height of the mass, the RPM of the barrel, and the water level.

10. What are the varying functionalities offered by a barrel polisher machine?

Cleaning: Industrial rotary tumbler machines help purify workpieces from stains.

Such stain or dirt may include dust, greases, or other residues stuck on the workpieces.

These may have been gotten from previous processing or human transportation.

Deburring: This is the process of removing sharp edges or burrs from the parts.

Take for example the usage of the machine to smoothen sharp corners and make into rounded ones.

Blending: Through this process, the machine helps to evenly spread out the finishes on a workpiece.

That could include the removal of machine lines that were sustained during the shape-cutting of workpieces.

Polishing: Polishing takes workpieces to higher levels of smoothness.

It makes the workpieces shiny and to attain a mirror-like look, inside out.

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

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

Retail – for jewelry polishing and other fine metal applications

Manufacturing – for metalworking and fabrication processes

Construction – for the deburring of building construction tools and materials. Such include cement and stone, hardware – including fasteners like screws and bolts, etc.

Mining – for the polishing and cleaning of stones and rock aggregates.

Additional industries that use barrel tumbling machines for metal parts include agriculture, electronics, aviation, automotive, healthcare, and several others.

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

• Workpieces can be finished cheaper and faster, than by hand
• Ability to process numerous workpieces simultaneously
• Ease of operation – requires very little handling
• Workpieces become stronger and tougher after tumbling
• Provides a certain amount of stress relief to parts
• Ability to blend forgings and castings
• Careful and proper handling of workpieces to save time and trouble

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

A barrel tumbling machine is no exception to some limitations. It includes:

• Long process cycle
• High chances of components’ damage
• Loud operation
• In-process checks are not possible with this machine
• Separation of parts from media can be complicated

14. How can you guarantee long-term use of the barrel machine?

To get the most out of a barrel finishing machine, it’s necessary to do some checkings and maintenance of it.

The best place to start is adhering to the manufacturers’ maintenance recommendations.

This is because barrel finishing machines differ from one another, requiring different maintenance processes.

Ensure to check through, understand, and implement the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations.

Some other general maintenance tips include:

Ensuring the machine is in good condition before usage:

It’s important to habitually check for internal and exterior damages in the barrel tumbling machine for metal parts’ before use.

Doing this helps safeguard the workplace from preventable accidents, including spillings, outbursts, and so on.

Periodically check the drain:

It’s very important to continually check the drains for blockage.

Undersized media can block drainage holes, affecting the entire finishing process.

Check the lining:

Lining wear causes a loss in the finishing process movement and drive.

If totally ignored, abrasive media could result in drilled holes, which causes machine damage.

Media level restoration:

Do not allow the machine’s media level to drop for any reason.

Some even deliberately reduce media level to save money or mass finish more workpieces.

The consequence of that ranges from slow finishing to component damage, to poor quality finishing.

15. What are the things to look out for when choosing a tumbling barrel machine?

The following are some of the factors you need to pay utmost attention to when choosing a barrel tumbling machine:

Overall Design – Rotary parts machines come with varying specifications, designs, and capabilities.

This makes personal preference a non-negotiable factor in making a machine choice.

So, you should consider a machine with an overall design that you can live with.

Safety and Compliance Standard – No matter who makes a barrel tumbling machine, it needs to meet minimum energy safety standards.

These standards vary from country to country, as determined by relevant governmental agencies.

Capacity – This is a very important factor to consider when choosing a rotary parts tumbler machine.

This is because the machine’s carrying capacity determines the duration within which numerous workpieces would be tumbled.

Barrel carrying capacity thus varies considerably from model to model, as well as from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Drainage System – Mass finishing machines usually have drainage systems through which water flushes residues out of the machine.

Such drainage system could be either of two types: one in which the water drains naturally, or one in which pumps are in charge of releasing used water from the machines.

Energy and Noise – Industrial rotary tumbler machines are notably loud and noisy when in operation.

There are however new-generation models that make less noise due to the inclusion of noise-suppressing parts.

Your budget would determine your choice.