Inovatec MachineryYour Best Steel Tumbling Media Manufacturer in China

Steel Tumbling Media

Stainless steel tumbling media also called stainless steel shot.

It performs well in the vibratory tumbler and rotary tumbler for brass case cleaning, burnishing, and polishing.

Steel tumbling cleaning media cleans metal surfaces in a short time.

For die casting parts, steel media make light deburring and achieve maximum luster effectively.

The main application of steel tumbling medium is stainless steel parts burnishing, brass bullets reloading, jewelry accessories polishing, cleaning primer pockets, tumbling brass castings, pistol parts, etc.

There are different grades of steel tumbler medium, including carbon steel tumbling media, 201 stainless steel polishing media, and 304 stainless steel burnishing media.

There are still 316 and 420 grades in the market, but not as widely used. 304 steel tumbling media is the most popular steel tumbling media used.

They are produced in ball, ballcone, diagonal, pins, oval ball, etc.

Because steel tumbling is case-hardened, they are always accurate in dimension.

The stainless burnishing media is well received by manufacturer mechanical workshops.

Here are the reasons:

• Deburring, degreasing, burnishing, polishing, cleaning function in one process
• Greatly reduces the processing time by using acidic compound
• Reduces maintenance, storage and handling cost compared with carbon steel media
• Greatly reduces compound usage, especially rust inhibitor
• Imposes compressive stress on metal parts surface (work-hardening) so that improves wear resistance of parts
• Produces a pre-plating finish on the metal surface
• Rolls down and closes the hole on the metal surface
• Because steel media is non-abrasive media, it does not wear the vibratory finishing machine PU lining

Inovatec has over 20 years’ experience in steel tumbling media manufacturing.

We deliver quality metal tumbling media for ball burnishing and improve your parts surface condition. Contact us today and get the quote now!

Steel Tumbling Media FAQ Guide

1. How do you control the quality of stainless steel tumbling media?

We control the stainless steel media quality from every step of production.

The first step is cold heading.

It is the process that reshapes metal wire into the desired shape.

Whether you want a ball shape, ballcone, or diagonal shape, we get the expected size and shape with the right mold.

The second step is heat treatment.

Heat treatment increases the surface hardness without a change in dimensions while the internal of the steel media is kept soft.

The third step is grinding.

We ground off the burr and flashed from heat treatment.

Also, the grinding process removes the oxidation layer on the steel media surface.

The fourth step is the vibratory burnishing process.

The ball burnishing process improves media brightness and removes dirt and debris from the grinding process.

The burnishing process takes about 20-30 minutes. After that, we clean the steel media with water and dry it in the centrifugal spin dryer machine.

The final step is separation.

We select the right media size according to the gauge.

When the media size is too big or too small, we will not send them to packaging.

2. What are the different types of steel tumbling media?

3. What is the dimensional tolerance of steel tumbling media used for vibratory finishing?

The dimensional tolerance of Inovatec steel tumbling media is ±0.25mm or ±0.01′  (pins and diagonal not included).

We check the shapes of every batch of steel media during the production.

4. What shapes of steel tumbling media do you manufacture?

Round shape: specified for critical applications only.

The sphere shape steel media is manufactured to the nominal diameter dimension with no visual surface irregularities.

Barrel shape: the most popular ball-type stainless steel media.

Slight, often microscopic surface imperfection, may exist, which have no damaging effects.

Cones shape: Trendy for vibratory finishing applications requiring aggressive action.

Center flange and tapered crowns provide contact angles on the curved surface. Small sizes are ideal for intricate or ornamental design.

Ball cones: The burnishing capabilities of balls and cones in one scientifically proportioned shape.

Oval Balls: used for vibratory finishing and barrel tumbling operations when a scratch and dimple-free finishing is required.

This shape introduces a swing motion to the finishing mass and provides more surface-to-surface contact than balls.

Diagonals: Particularly suited to odd shapes where lodging might be a problem or for parts with hard to reach angles.

Beveled edges of diagonally cut ends provide effective finishing action in corners.

The cylindrical body offers wide-area contact.

5. What is the size of the steel tumbling media you could manufacturer?

We manufacturer steel tumbling media from 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, and above.

You can also make the order based on USA standards, like 1/16″, 1/8″, and 1/4″.

The smaller size takes a longer time to produce, and it is much more costly.

Besides, we also make media per customer standard like 2.5mm, 3.5mm, etc.

6. What is the cost of steel tumbling media?

The cost of steel tumbling media depends on the media size, shape as well as materials.

Stainless steel media size above 4mm is cheaper.

A size below 3mm is expensive because the productivity is low.

Stainless steel media has different material categories. 316 stainless steel media is expensive, while 201 steel tumbling media is much cheaper.

7. Do you make a jewelry shot mixture of stainless steel media?

Yes, we do stainless steel media shot mix for jewelry polishing.

The jewelry mix steel tumbling media is a balanced blend of several steel media shapes.

The purpose of the mixture is to provide optimal polishing on jewelry’s entire surface including recesses and deep corners.

The most popular media for jewelry mix are steel balls, diagonals, and steel pins.

The most popular size formula is 40% 5/32″ stainless steel ball, 40% 1/8″ diagonals, and 20% 1/16″ x1/2″ pins.

You can also decide the percentage of each size and shape.

8. How do you package steel tumbling media?

We package steel tumbling media according to customer requirements.

Usually, we do double PP plastic bag packaging. We also do carton box packaging or steel barrel packaging.

9. How to order steel tumbling media?

To order steel tumbling media, firstly, you need to confirm the media size, shape, and also the materials.

These are the critical information to decide the production cost.

We also need to know how many kg or lbs of the media to order.

Therefore, we can inform you about the production lead time.

We offer a discount for a significant order quantity.

Also, we need to know your application.

If you use a stainless steel ball for vibratory finishing, then our standard dimensional tolerance (±0.25mm) is suitable for you.

If your request is bearing use, then you need strict size controlling.

Finally, we need to confirm with you for packaging.

Our default packaging is plastic bag packaging with a wooden pallet.

We also make steel drum packaging and carton box packaging according to your requirements.

If you are a reseller of steel tumbling media, we can print your logo and contact information outside the packaging.

10. What is stainless steel tumbling media?

In simple words, stainless steel tumbling media is the media made of stainless steel. It’s as simple as that.

Stainless steel tumbling media is a category of media used by tumbling finishing machines.

They are usable in cleaning, deburring, and burnishing all types of metal workpieces, especially brass cartridges.

Designed to be used in rotary tumbling machines, stainless steel tumbling media makes workpieces come out significantly cleaner and brighter than before.

They are made from extremely tough stainless steel materials, which make them last for a very long time.

Stainless steel tumbling media is perfect for ball burnishing machine.

They not only reduce process time but are also cost-effective.

They inflict pressure on workpiece surfaces, demystifying the removal of defects.

11. What is stainless steel tumbling media used for?

Stainless steel tumbling media is used for polishing and cleaning brass parts. You cannot use stainless steel tumbling media for any other material.

Depending on the tumbling machine and the results desired, stainless steel tumbling media can be used for one or more of the following:

Deburring:

Deburring is the process of removing sharp edges or burrs on metals, which are left after machining.

A common deburring example is using a stainless steel tumbling media to smoothen a sharp corner and trun into a rounded corner in a workpiece.

Deflashing:

This process is similar to deburring.

Blending helps to evenly spread the finishes on a workpiece.

Deflashing helps remove the leftover machine lines in the process of milling and shape-cutting of metallic workpieces.

Polishing:

Polishing, which is also called burnishing, takes a workpiece to the next level of smoothness.

It makes the workpiece shiny and to attain a mirrored look, inside out.

Degreasing/Cleaning:

One of the usages of a stainless steel tumbling media is surface cleaning. It helps to cleanse workpieces from specks of dirt and stains. Such dirt or stain may include grease, dust or other residues stuck on the workpiece, from previous processing.

12. How important is stainless steel tumbling media in mass finishing?

Media are an important and essential input when it comes to mass finishing.

This is because they help to facilitate and enhance the mass finishing process in extraordinary ways.

Here are some of its importance:

Cushioning:

Stainless steel tumbling media also comes with the ability to absorb impact energy between the parts in the work tub or bowl.

Stainless steel tumbling media helps keep the workpieces from hitting and hugely impacting one another negatively.

It also slows down the workpieces and reduces the force they have on each other.

Particle Size Balancing:

It’s important that there be a balance of sizes in the workpieces loaded into the mass finishing machine‘s chamber.

If the workpieces in the chamber are all large pieces, there won’t be enough piece to piece friction.

The influence of the media in workpieces contact helps to smoothen and polish the workpiece.

Improve Tumbling Action:

Stainless steel tumbling media aids the inserted workpiece in tumbling better.

The tumbling media acts as roller bearings in the machine’s chamber.

They get between angular and flat workpieces and increase their motion.

13. What type of workpieces is stainless steel tumbling media best for?

Stainless steel tumbling media are perfect for use on any metal that has a hardness of less than or equal to the 302/304 stainless steel alloy material that the media itself is manufactured with.

Some stainless steel tumbling media are also magnetized by their manufacturers to allow for easy pickup and separation with a strong magnet.

Stainless steel tumbling media scrubs oxides and machined lines from zinc, aluminum, brass, copper, and other materials.

It is highly effective at removing nuclear residues from metallic workpieces.

It can also be used appropriately on parts made of biodegradable compounds.

14. How does stainless steel tumbling media work on workpieces?

First and foremost, a stainless steel tumbling media isn’t an end in itself – it’s a means to an end.

You’ll, therefore, need to invest in the purchase of a good tumbling finishing machine to go with the media.

To get to work, an operator opens the work bowl/drum of the tumbling machine and loads it with stainless steel tumbling media.

The workpieces, compound, and/or water also go in with it.

The stainless steel tumbling media becomes energized by the power supplied by the machine’s motor.

The media effectively rubs off on the workpieces, fine-tuning, and enhancing them in the process.

The machine is kept running until the desired result is achieved.

Sometimes, the machine can run through its programmed tumbling cycle and still not have achieved the desired finishing.

The operator, in such case, turns the tumbling machine on again, for it to continue the process – until the desired finishing is attained.

15. Which stainless steel tumbling media shape, angle, and size is best for mass finishing?

There is no best stainless steel tumbling media.

What is best for each finishing process would depend on the shape, depth, and size of the workpiece.

Mostly, the standard is usually to have a balanced blend of different media shapes.

This provides optimal finishing action on flat areas, corners, grooves, and recesses.

Stainless steel tumbling media consists of a multitude of interlocking, compact, scientifically-designed shapes and sizes, curated to match virtually every workpiece’s contour and improve finishing action.

Unique shapes are also available.

Some of the most popular shapes of stainless steel tumbling media include round balls, pins, ball-cone, cones, oval balls, diagonals, eclipse balls, and many more.

16. Which finishing machine can use a stainless steel tumbling media?

Stainless steel tumbling media are usually ideal and more appropriate for vibratory tumbling finishing machines.

To support a heavy load of stainless steel tumbling media, a vibratory finishing machine should have a stronger structure and a big size motor.

17. What are stainless steel tumbling media typically made up of?

As evident from the name, stainless steel tumbling media are typically made from high-quality, high-carbon, case-hardened, and stress-relieved steel, as well as 302 high-quality stainless steel.

They typically weigh around 300 pounds per cubic foot.

This lets cushion and supports workpieces in the mass, delivering quick contact and fast smoothening of edges.

Its substantial weight also exerts added pressure which is useful for breaking the resistance of the workpieces.

18. What are the benefits of using stainless steel tumbling media over other media types?

Stainless steel tumbling media are an excellent and popular choice when it comes to finishing metallic parts.

Here are some of the reasons:

High Effectiveness:

Stainless steel tumbling media are highly effective when it comes to making workpieces shine and polished in a gold-like manner.

The results they churn out are pretty distinctive and nowhere comparable with other types of tumbling media.

Thorough Cleaning:

Stainless steel tumbling media are designed in a manner that makes them possible to clean workpieces inside out, thoroughly and perfectly.

Time Efficiency:

Mass finishing with a stainless steel tumbling media is a really time-efficient process – if you know your way.

This media is perhaps faster than other tumbling media types on the market.

Less or Almost No Damage:

In spite of the numerous pros of using stainless steel tumbling media, it doesn’t damage workpieces easily as you’d think.

You are assured of fewer occasions of splits or crack on workpieces.

Long Life:

Stainless media can last forever – you heard that right! They are made of sturdy steel which guarantees their longer usage.

This can help save you quite a lot of money as you wouldn’t buy them quite often.

Less Messier:

Using stainless steel tumbling media to mass finish is way less messy than other usual media.

For mediums like corn cob, an operator may have to scrape away gummed up cornmeal out of a bunch of workpieces after a finishing session.

19. Are there side effects to the usage of stainless steel tumbling media?

If there’s any downside to stainless steel tumbling media, it’d be:

Cost of purchase

In light of the enormous pros of stainless steel tumbling media, it’s not a surprise that they cost a ton.

Well, if you take into account the fact that you wouldn’t need to replace them every now and then, the high cost wouldn’t really matter.

Too much technicality

Mass finishing with stainless steel tumbling media is not without its technicalities.

There are a few extra steps that an operator would go through when finishing with steel media.

But, if you consider the time that steel media would save you, you’d appreciate the extra efforts.

20. What are the tips for maintaining stainless steel tumbling media?

Like all industrial materials, stainless steel tumbling media need maintenance – to guarantee their longevity.

To get the most out of the media, certain dos and don’ts need to be adhered to.

They include:

Periodic care:

Stainless steel tumbling media generally need proper cleaning and drying after each use.

Doing this preserves and enhances their day-to-day performance.

Ensuring the media level commensurate with the workpiece, compound levels:

For no reason whatsoever should stainless steel tumbling media levels be deliberately or innocently allowed to become too lowered.

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

The consequence ranges from slow process time to non-qualitative finishing to heavy strain on the media.

Replacement of flawed media:

It must be understood that each piece of the stainless steel tumbling media in the mass is an individual polishing tool, and must.

Therefore, be free of flaws including size reductions.

This guarantees optimal performance without damage.

It’s therefore important to look out for imperfect steel media and replace such, in order not to demean the efforts of the whole mass.

Aside from these, using stainless steel tumbling media on workpieces has no direct side effect on the workpieces.

21. What industries are stainless steel tumbling media most appropriate for?

Stainless steel tumbling is ideal for all manufacturing sectors where there’s a fundamental need for heavy reliance on finished metals.

They include:

General Job Shop:

At general machine shops, steel media are loaded in finishing machines to provide cost-effective, quick enhancement for varieties of items and parts.

Jewelry:

Pieces of jewelry that have been neglected or improperly kept, accumulate specks of dust and varying other particles.

These impurities can combine to disfigure its surfaces.

Using steel media alongside finishing machines can help return jewelry items’ surfaces to an enhanced state.

Automotive:

The automotive industry benefits so much from the usage of stainless steel tumbling media.

Its usage in the finishing machine helps to enhance metallic automotive parts.

Some of the workpieces include gears & fasteners, engine heads, motorbike wheels, silencers, pistons, and virtually all metallic parts of automobiles.

They are also perfect for refurbishing automobile components and engine parts, be it cast or forged.

Defense & Aerospace:

In these industries, metal smoothness and strength is usually a crucial requirement for products.

Manufacturers therein thus use stainless steel tumbling media to optimize and give varying finishes to workpieces.

Medical Device:

Final consumers of medical device products expect consistent, high-quality finishes.

Stainless steel tumbling media helps deliver assorted types of surface enhancement on medical devices made of stainless steel, titanium, cobalt chrome, and others.

Motorsports: Motorsports products are often associated with glossy and polished outlooks.

Such surface quality is also achieved with the aid of stainless steel tumbling media.

22. Does stainless steel tumbling media damage brass workpieces?

No, it doesn’t. Once an operator follows the proper manufacturing instructions, nothing should go wrong.

23. What are the benefits of using a finishing machine?

There are several pros that a workpiece finished with stainless steel tumbling media stands to gain. The most common ones include:

Corrosion Resistance

Stainless steel tumbling media helps to eliminate roughness and micro-notches in a workpiece.

It helps give a workpiece greater resistance against rust and other forms of metal corrosion.

Essentially, a properly finished workpiece is less likely to develop cracks and other imperfections.

Strain Hardening

Stainless steel tumbling media helps condense the structure of inserted metallic workpieces to increase their hardness.

A finished workpiece is 50 to 100% harder than its unburnished counterpart, i.e., one with a mill finish.

This makes it more resistant to fatigue failure.

Polished Finish

Not only is a workpiece finished with steel media stronger, but it also becomes more polished.

Finishing machines effectively eliminate minor visual defects by polishing the surface to the desired smoothness.

24. For how long can a stainless steel tumbling media last?

When maintained appropriately, stainless steel tumbling media guarantees consistent performance and repeatability.

Proper maintenance procedures for protecting the stainless steel media between uses will guarantee years upon years of usage.

25. Can I tumble brass with stainless steel tumbling media?

Yes. Stainless steel media is meant for brass tumbling.

26. Does stainless steel tumbling media work on nickel-plated brass?

Yes, it does. Usually, the tumbling time is 40-60% less for nickel-plated brass.

It’s a good idea to start with a short tumbling time and ramp up according to the results.

27. Do I tumble the media wet or dry?

You can do either of them.

Wet and dry tumbling with stainless steel media require two different types of machines.

Wet tumbling generates more convincing results than dry tumbling.

It depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

28. Do I have to dry the media before storing it?

No. You can store the wet stainless steel media in a barrel or a container.

Stainless steel tumbling media is not prone to rust.

29. Will stainless steel tumbling media harm my products?

It depends on what products are you talking about.

Stainless steel tumbling media is specifically designed for brass tumbling.

If you use a material that doesn’t support stainless steel media, it will get damaged.

30. Do I need to use any special lubricants?

No. Plain water works just fine.

If you’re looking for something extra out of the tumbling process, there are chemical solutions available that can also be used as a lubricant.

31. Is stainless steel tumbling media magnetic?

Yes. It’s a great feature because you can pick up any media you spill on the floor with the help of a magnet.

It’s especially true for magnetic pin media.

32. What is the media-to-part-to-water ratio for stainless steel tumbling media?

It depends on the capacity of your media tumbler.

The ideal way is to fill 2/3 of your tumbler with brass, about 1lbs of stainless steel tumbling media, and ¾ of water.

33. Where do I store my media?

You can store your stainless steel tumbling media anywhere you want.

As it’s stainless, it won’t rust under any circumstances.

It’s good practice to keep it indoors in order to keep it clean.

34. How long does stainless steel tumbling media last?

If used in the right context, stainless steel tumbling media can last forever.

Stainless steel media is mostly used for brass tumbling and brass is a soft metal.

So, stainless steel media doesn’t wear and tear much during cycles.

35. How long do I have to tumble my parts with stainless steel tumbling media?

Stainless steel tumbling media is manufactured to be tumbled with brass.

Brass only takes 2-4 hour cycles to provide desired tumbling results.

36. Can I tumble jewelry with stainless steel tumbling media?

Yes. Stainless steel tumbling media pins are great for tumbling jewelry.

Jewelry parts are very intricate in nature so stainless steel tumbling media pins fit perfectly with the size of the jewelry.

37. How to keep my products from spotting or tarnishing after the stainless steel tumbling process?

The spotting usually occurs due to the carbon deposits on the media.

An option is to tumble the media separately with soap for a few hours before you use it to tumble your parts.

38. What size of stainless steel tumbling media should I buy?

The size of the stainless steel tumbling media should fit with your parts.

If you use large media to tumble small parts, the parts might get ruined.

The case for small media and large parts is a little different.

It’ll take forever to tumble without getting any results.

Moreover, you might damage the media itself.

39. What shape of stainless steel tumbling media should I buy?

There was a time when stainless steel tumbling media was only available in balls or cone shapes.

With time, the machining industry has evolved a lot.

You can get specialized shapes that fit right with your parts.

It’s not rocket science, you just have to find the right fit.

40. Why are my parts changing colors after using stainless steel media?

It’s not changing colors, it’s just oxidizing.

As you’re using stainless steel tumbling media to tumble your brass, you are tumbling to the bare brass.

The bare brass is prone to oxidizing.

41. Will the stainless steel tumbling media pass through the flash holes?

Yes. The pin stainless steel media are small enough to pass through the flash holes.

42. Do I need to clean the stainless steel tumbling media before I start tumbling?

Cleaning the stainless steel tumbling media beforehand is a good idea in order to avoid spotting and tarnishing.

Just tumble the stainless steel media separately with water and soap.

43. How much media do I need for one cycle?

It depends on the size of the tumbler.

The ideal ratio is 2/3 parts and 1/3 media.

It might change depending on the type, shape, and size of the parts.

44. What kind of tumbler is good for stainless steel tumbling media?

Stainless steel tumbling media is only suitable for rotary tumblers.

You can’t use it with vibratory tumblers.

45. Can stainless steel tumbling media polish my products?

Yes. A major goal of the tumbling operation is to polish the brass.

Brass parts are not usually shiny by nature so you have to tumble them in order to get them polished.

46. Is stainless steel tumbling media better than carbon steel media?

Yes, in all aspects.

Carbon steel media is notoriously known for higher storage requirements, higher maintenance, and higher handling costs.

Stainless steel media is more efficient in all of these sectors.

47. Do I need a rust inhibitor?

Stainless steel media doesn’t rust. So, you don’t need a rust inhibitor.

48. Can I use stainless steel tumbling media on vibratory tumblers?

No. Stainless steel media is only suitable with rotary tumblers.

The media will be damaged and won’t serve its purpose if used in vibratory tumbling media.

49. Is stainless steel tumbling media faster than other media?

Stainless steel tumbling media is much faster in cycles.

As stainless steel media is used for brass tumbling, you need to cycle only 2-4 hours to get the ultimate results.

50. Can I tumble plastic with stainless steel tumbling media?

No. Stainless steel will ruin the batch of plastic parts.

You need to use ceramic or plastic tumbling media to tumble plastic.

51. Can I tumble steel with stainless steel tumbling media?

No. Steel and stainless steel are similar in strength, stainless steel being the stronger version.

So, if you tumble steel with stainless steel, the tumbling media will damage the steel parts.

52. How much does the stainless steel tumbling media cost?

The price will vary depending on the size, shape, and quality of the media.

You can rest assured that the use of stainless steel tumbling media for brass tumbling is much faster and cost-efficient than any other method.

53. Can stainless steel tumbling media deburr?

You can find the right type of stainless steel tumbling media which are designed to deburr brass.