Engis claims first for replaceable ceramic fibre bristles in a cup-type brush

Large ceramic fibre brushes in sizes up to 100 mm diameter with a fibre rod length of 75 mm are now available from Engis. The brushes, which incorporate innovative ceramic cutting fibres, are claimed to be the first of their kind to utilise replaceable ceramic fibre bristles in a cup-type brush. The brushes have been designed for ease of automation in machining centres and robot-driven systems and are particularly suitable for the removal of fine burrs with a base thickness of 0.1mm or less, removing EDM scale and polishing the bottom surface of blind holes. The brush bristles are single alumina fibre rods made up of 1000 alumina fibre filaments. Each fibre is only 10 microns in diameter, giving each tip 1000 high density cutting edges. The brush design ensures that the cutting action takes place at the very tips of the fibre rods, so providing consistent cutting and fast, efficient removal of burrs generated from milling, drilling or grinding operations. Unlike steel or nylon brushes, the fibres in Engis brushes will not bend or distort in use, ensuring that the cutting action is always on the fibre tips. Benefits of the system include single-operation deburring and finishing, excellent miniscule deburring after machine processing, superior polishing power - even at relatively low polishing speeds, and the ability to remove burrs without creating secondary burrs.