If burrs on cast plastic components cannot be completely eliminated, they must at least be simply removed using a repeatable process. Together with a customer, Heraeus Noblelight has developed a solution that uses infrared heaters for this task. The emitters transfer heat in a contact-free manner and melt the burrs away without causing any damage to the component itself. As a result production reject rates are significantly reduced. Plastic handles, housing parts, covers, suction hoses and lids are conventionally produced by injection molding or by pressing. It is not always possible to prevent the creation of sharp-edged burrs, especially at the tool splitting surfaces. The removal of these burrs before further processing is an important requirement, especially with components of complex geometry. Infrared radiation heats the surfaces of plastic components in a contact-free manner and in a matter of seconds, so that the burrs are simply melted away.
Moreover, quartz glass infrared emitters can be shaped to follow the contour of the edges or burrs and consequently exactly melt away only the burr without damaging the actual work piece. As a result, the technology is far superior to many conventional methods, as manual deburring, using special knives or by the application of gas flames, does not produce consistent results and is time-intensive.
Infrared modules are compact, can be easily integrated in production lines and can be retro-fitted. Consequently, infrared heating allows in-line deburring and plastic components can be passed to the next processing stage immediately.
Infrared emitters are matched exactly to the production process. They can heat large surfaces just as easily as thin edges. Flexible designs allow their use with the most geometrically complex work pieces and, as infrared emitters can be switched on and off in a matter of seconds, they save on both energy and operating costs. Deburring, welding or riveting of plastic components takes place especially efficiently within a few seconds because the heat is applied exactly where it should be. Infrared emitters offer the advantage of being able to apply focused heat: heat exactly where it is required and for only as long as it is required. Consequently, energy is used efficiently, time is saved and, in the final analysis, production costs are reduced.
