Inovatec MachineryYour Best Tumbling media for plastics Manufacturer in China

Tumbling media for plastic parts

The purposes of tumbling media for plastic parts are listed as follows:

1. Remove the flashes and parting lines from injection molding plastic parts (for example plastic eyeglass frame deflashing with plastic abrasive media)
2. Refining surface and reducing surface roughness (for example plastic 3D printed parts smoothing with plastic tumbling media)
3. Adding high gloss luster on parts’ surface (for example, tumble polishing of plastic buttons with porcelain tumbling media)

Plastic tumbling media is ideal for moderate deburring on plastic parts.

Usually, the plastic deburring media should be harder than the parts.

Also, plastic media removes dirt and debris on the surface of the parts.

Plastic parts are either processed in a vibratory finishing machine, centrifugal disc finishing machine, or rotary barrel tumblers.

You can also use the same tumbler for deburring metal parts.

After that, the workpieces are clean and ready to paint.

Porcelain tumbling media is used to add high gloss on plastic part surfaces.

It is a non-abrasive media; therefore, it does not change parts’ surface roughness.

Porcelain media polishes plastic parts in an industrial vibratory tumbler machine or rotary barrel tumbling machine.

Natural-based tumbling media includes corn cob media, walnut shell media, as well as wood, pegs media.

When we polish eyeglass frames, hardwood media is mixed with polishing paste and run in the rotary barrel deburring tumbler machine overnight.

Corn cob tumbling media helps to clean the plastic parts.

Hardwood media deposits a hard film on its own and makes a high gloss finish on an eyeglass frame.

Ceramic deburring media is used for glass fiber-filled plastic parts deburring. It effectively removes the parting line while generating a rougher surface.

Inovatec has over 20 years’ experience in process development and tumbling media manufacturing.

We have an extensive product range for you to select the right media and chemicals. Send us an inquiry and get the quotation shortly!

Tumbling Media for Plastic Parts FAQ Guide

1. What are tumbling media for plastic parts?

Answer: Plastic parts can be tumbled using a variety of media including ceramic, plastic, porcelain, corn cob, walnut shell, etc.

2. What is the purpose of tumbling media for plastic parts?

Tumbling media for plastic parts can perform a multitude of tasks including cleaning dirt, improving the surface status, and removing micro-scratches.

Tumbling media for plastic parts can effectively remove parting lines from injection molding parts, 3D printed parts, and create a high gloss luster.

3. Can I use stainless steel media for tumbling plastic parts?

No, you can’t. Stainless steel tumbling media is a hard metal that might damage the plastic parts.

4. Can I use ceramic deburring media as tumbling media for plastic parts?

Yes. Ceramic tumbling media is an all-around media that can also tumble plastic parts to achieve your desired finish.

You need to ensure that you don’t use aggressive ceramic tumbling media for finishing plastic parts as it may damage the parts.

Ceramic media is also great for precision deburring and tumble finishing

It’s perfect for tumbling glass fiber-filled plastic parts.

5. Do I tumble the media wet or dry?

Plastic parts can be tumbled in both ways.

If you’re going for a glossy finish, it’s best to tumble the plastic parts with hardwood media.

Abrasive media like ceramic or plastic works well in wet tumbling.

6. Do I need to use any special lubricants with tumbling media for plastic parts?

For the wet tumbling process, plain water will do the job.

You don’t necessarily need to invest in lubricating solutions.

7. Are any of the tumbling media for plastic parts magnetic?

No. None of the tumbling media for plastic parts are magnetic.

Only stainless steel tumbling media has magnetic properties which are not suitable for tumbling plastic parts.

8. Are any of the tumbling media for plastic parts abrasive?

Except for the porcelain tumbling media, all other media have abrasive properties.

9. How many tumbling media for plastic parts do I need?

It depends on what your goals are.

Common tumbling media for plastic parts include a deburring media and a polishing media.

That’s the bare minimum.

You can do a test by doing a few trials and see what fits best for your parts.

10. How long does tumbling media for plastic parts last?

Again, it depends on your usage.

There are multiple tumbling media for plastic parts.

Each of them has different lifespans.

Porcelain media usually lasts the longest as it has no abrasives in it.

Other media will last you for a few good cycles.

11. How long do I have to tumble my parts with tumbling media for plastic parts?

The time you need to tumble your plastic parts will depend on your expectations.

For example, hardwood media can provide a satisfactory gloss in as little as 2 hours.

The time is going to vary depending on your parts and the final output you are hoping for.

12. Can I tumble jewelry with tumbling media for plastic parts?

If your jewelry contains plastic parts, why not?

Make sure to separate the plastic from other components on the jewelry.

Throw the parts in a tumbler with your preferred media and let the media do its work.

13. How to keep my products from spotting or tarnishing after the plastic tumbling process?

You don’t have to because plastic doesn’t tarnish.

14. What size of tumbling media for plastic parts should I buy?

You can get your hands on a variety of sizes.

There are large media with aggressive abrasive properties.

Then there are small media for polishing.

One rule of thumb is to match the proportion of the size.

Don’t use large media on tiny parts and vice versa.

As for the rest, you have to figure out which size fits your needs.

15. What shape of tumbling media for plastic parts should I buy?

The concept of shapes in tumbling media for plastic parts is the same as the size.

It depends on your application.

You can find tumbling media for plastic parts in different shapes like angle cut, straight cut, cylindrical, and so on.

Choose one that fits your applications.

16. Why are my parts changing colors after using tumbling media for plastic parts?

It’s not supposed to change color.

You might’ve used the wrong lubricant or media.

Another probable cause is that the plastic parts are not polished as they are supposed to.

Contact our technical team for more advice.

17. Will the tumbling media for plastic parts pass through the flash holes?

If the media size is small enough, it can.

Mostly, stainless steel pins are most prone to pass through flash holes.

But if your vibratory tumbler machine comes with a separator, chances are, other media will also pass through the holes.

18. Do I need to clean the tumbling media for plastic parts before I start tumbling?

If the media has been used for some other material earlier, it’s a good idea to clean it first.

To clean effectively, tumble the media by itself for a few hours with a lot of water.

19. How many plastic parts can I tumble at once?

It depends on the size of your vibratory tumbler deburring machine.

If you have a large industrial one with a massive tub, you can tumble hundreds of parts at once.

But if you have a tiny benchtop one, it’s going to be much less in scale.

20. What kind of tumbler is good for tumbling media for plastic parts?

We recommend vibratory deburring tumbler machines for tumbling plastic parts.

Vibratory part tumbler machines are compatible with a lot of different media and they work fast.

If your parts require any other treatment, you can go for it as well.

21. Can I polish my plastic with tumbling media for plastic parts?

Yes. Porcelain and hardwood media are great for polishing plastic parts.

Both of the media are non-abrasive and do a wonderful job of creating the shine.

22. How is tumbling media for plastic parts different than other media?

It’s not. Tumbling media for plastic parts cover a lot of media that are used for other materials as well.

23. Do any of the tumbling media for plastic parts need a rust inhibitor?

No. None of the tumbling media for plastic parts are prone to rust.

Rust is a result of metal molecules reacting to oxygen and water.

There are no metal tumbling media for plastic parts.

24. Can I use tumbling media for plastic parts on rotary tumblers?

You can. The rotary barrel tumbler deburring machines work much slower than conventional vibratory tumblers.

25. Are tumbling media for plastic parts faster than other media?

Not necessarily. As we already mentioned, tumbling media for plastic parts cover a few of the general-purpose media as well.

There is no difference in media speed. But yes, plastic parts take less time to finish than metal.

26. Can I use plastic tumbling media as tumbling media for plastic parts?

Plastic tumbling media is a perfectly ideal media for tumbling plastic parts.

Plastic tumbling media is great for cleaning off dirt and debris from the surface.

27. How much do tumbling media for plastic parts cost?

Different media come at a different price.

The price is also influenced by the size and shape of the tumbling media.

We have been providing the best quality tumbling media for over 20 years.

Whatever your needs are, we can fulfill them at the best price.

28. Can I deburr with tumbling media for plastic parts?

Yes, you can deburr plastic parts using media like ceramic deburring media.