Inovatec MachineryYour Best Mass Finishing Tumbling Media Manufacturer in China

Tumbling Media Information & Introduction

Did you search the right tumbler medium for mass finishing?

Inovatec is a company that has a full range of tumbler media including ceramic media, plastic media, natural tumbling media as well as steel tumbling media. Tumbler media is available from light cutting to heavy cutting.

We have 20 years’ industrial experience to support you in choosing the right media for the right finish.

Whether you have sturdy forgings, 3D printed parts, laser cutting metal parts, or aluminum machining parts, we have the right solution to get the perfect finish for you.

Inovatec abrasive tumbling medium makes strict quality control in every step of manufacturing.

From raw material that comes into the warehouse, we do sampling and keep records.

When the product is ready, we measure the media size and shape. Make sure the dimension is appropriate.

Tumbling media wearing and cutting are the key parameters. If media wearing is too high or cutting is too low, and out of the range, we may not ship the media to customers.

Every batch of media is pre-tumbled (self-tumbling) to remove burrs, flashes, and improve surface smoothness.

Before tumbler media packaging, we do a manual inspection. The media that are deformed, oversized, or undersized will be sieved out with the automatic sorting machine.

Inovatec tumbling abrasive media is not only superior in quality control but also cost-effective.

We do OEM service for mass finishing service providers all over the world with customer logo and packaging.

Our wet tumbling media meet German standards with only a fraction cost.

Certified with ISO 9001 standard, Inovatec parts tumbler media is now well received by the user throughout the world.

If you know what product you are searching for, you can check our product catalogue for the right type of tumbling media.

If you don’t know what product you are looking for, but know what types of finish you prefer, you can contact us and send the parts with the expected finish.

We will do free sample processes and lab testing for you.

Please call us or email us today and get the fast quote now!

Tumbling Media FAQ Guide

1. What is tumbling media?

The preformed media used in the tumbling process which removes the unwanted material from the parts are known as tumbling media.

It’s a rigid abrasive infused with a bonding agent that keeps the abrasive properties of the media intact.

2. What is the difference between tumbling and vibratory media?

Essentially, they are the same thing.

Any media used in a vibratory industrial tumbler machine is tumbling media.

There are no specific media known as the vibratory media.

3. What is the difference between tumbling and deburring media?

Again, they don’t fall into the same category.

A tumbling media can perform a variety of actions like deburring, polishing, cleaning and so on.

A deburring media is a type of tumbling media that deburrs excess material.

4. When do I need tumbling media?

Tumbling media is used with media tumblers.

It can be vibratory tumblers, industrial barrel tumbler deburring machines, centrifugal finishing machines or anything of that sort.

You need tumbling media when you need to deburr, polish or clean your part surface.

5. How long does tumbling media last?

It’s not possible to answer that question.

Different types of tumbling media will last for different durations.

The main factors would be the media you are using, the parts you are finishing, and the size of the tumbler.

A rule of thumb is as long as you think you are getting your desired finish, you can keep using the tumbling media.

6. How to choose the right tumbling media?

Answer: Choosing the right tumbling for the right task is probably the most important step in tumbling.

For example, you need large tumbling media if you need a rapid cut.

You’ll get more rounded edges as well, and it’s not suitable if you’re going for a smooth surface.

On the other hand, using small tumbling media will take longer but will result in a finer finish.

Then there are shapes. Shapes influence the tumbling machine process drastically.

The most common forms of tumbling media are triangular media, angle cut cylinders, and so on.

7. How to use tumbling media?

To perform a tumbling operation, you’ll need a tumbler, media, lubricating agent, polishing agent, etc.

The procedure is very straightforward. You load up your tumbler with the parts and preferred media and start the action.

In most cases, you need to use a lubricating agent like water to keep the debris from flying out and protecting the media.

Once you get your desired outcome, you can stop the tumbling and unload your tumbler.

8. What does tumbling media do?

Answer: Tumbling media performs a variety of activities.

• Cushions the parts to protect them from damage
• Keeps the parts separate from each other
• Aids the tumbling process
• Works as abrasives
• Deburrs, cleans and protects against damage
• Serves the carrier for the waste material

9. What should the abrasiveness be of my tumbling media?

The finer the media, the finer the surface.

It’s as simple as that. Rough and abrasive media offer great deburring properties.

Less abrasive media will take longer to tumble but it will provide you with a more consistent and smooth finish.

10. Can I use tumbling media on plastic products?

Yes, of course. You’ll need a special type of tumbling media designed for plastic tumbling.

Tumbling plastic products can take up to 16 hours of time.

11. Can I use tumbling media in wooden products?

Answer: It’s possible though not very common.

Wood usually needs dry tumbling to get the smoothness.

You can use walnut shell tumbling media or corn cob tumbling media in this case.

You can use coarse or fine walnut media depending on the amount of material removal from the part surface.

Corn cob media is also available in different sizes.

12. What are some good tumbling media brands?

When it comes to the quality of tumbling media, there is no other brand that can beat Inovatec Machinery.

We have over 20 years of experience in the mass finishing industry and we’re the largest media manufacturer.

We recommend you evaluate our quality first and then decide which tumbling media to choose.

13. How much vibratory tumbler media do I need?

There is no golden ratio when the smoothness of your parts is at stake.

It highly depends on the type of media, the size of the media, the shape of the media, and so on.

A good rule of thumb is three parts media with one part workpiece.

This 3:1 ratio usually provides the best tumbling results.

14. Can I tumble anodized aluminum?

Tumbling anodized aluminum might defeat the purpose of anodizing it in the first place.

But there are cases where people have tumbled anodized aluminum with stainless steel tumbling media for up to six hours.

As for our recommendation, it’s better to tumble before anodizing.

If you absolutely have to, you can use light tumbling media like corn cob or walnut.

Inovatec offers a wide variety of tumbling media for aluminum parts.

15. How to use tumbling media more efficiently?

Choosing the right media will automatically prolong the life of your tumbling media.

Using the right shape and size for the task will ensure that the bonding agent is working properly to keep the abrasives powerful.

Otherwise, nothing stops your tumbling media from wearing out prematurely.

16. How long should I tumble my products?

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question as well.

Tumbling can take anywhere from an hour to even days.

It really depends on the media you are using, the part you are finishing, and your ultimate goal.

For example, plastic parts need less tumbling in general where rocks can take days to come to a proper shape.

17. Is tumbling media expensive?

The answer is yes and no at the same time.

Good quality tumbling media is obviously a little expensive than cheap mediocre tumbling media.

But you’re already saving a lot of time and money by using the industrial part tumbler machines instead of your hands.

So, why not invest in good tumbling media as Inovatec Machinery provides?

18. Is cheap tumbling media any good?

Answer: It’s good in the sense that it does what it’s supposed to.

Any tumbling media will deburr and polish the parts.

But the final result is going to be noticeably different from a good tumbling media. And we mean worse.

19. My parts are getting damaged? What should I do?

The most obvious cause would be the wrong choice of media.

You might have chosen too big of a media to tumble your parts.

The shape of the media can be another issue.

To overcome, consult a professional or do small batches to figure out the right media for your parts.

The media-to-part ratio is another important aspect of tumbling.

If you accidentally use too many tumbling media in the tumbler, the results are not going to be pretty.

20. Why my batch is taking so long to process?

The problem might be your tumbling media.

Ask yourself how long have you been using the media.

If the media has lost its abrasive properties, it will take hours and hours without generating any results.

Another probable cause is the ratio.

If you’re using too few media in the tumbler, it’ll take much longer to process.

Try and figure out where the problem lies first.

21. Do I wet the media?

Nowadays, wet tumbling is the way to go.

There was a time when dry tumbling was popular.

People used sand or walnut media to carry the excess material away.

But now, the most popular tumbling process is a wet process.

22. What do I use to wet the media?

Simply, water. You can use cleaning solutions as well but that’s not necessary for most common operations.