Industrial brush applications such as deburring or surface finishing are more and more often carried out stationarily in manufacturing facilities. This offers the advantage that workpieces can be produced and finished on the same machine. As a result, there are no additional set-up times, labour-intensive manual work is reduced, and reproducible results are achieved with short cycle times.

PFERD, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tools for surface finishing and metal cutting, offers a comprehensive and efficient line of so-called composite brushes especially for these kinds of applications. “The manufacturing method is what distinguishes composite brushes from ‘conventional’ brushes,” explains Thomas Rühle, product manager for industrial power brushes at PFERD.

“This manufacturing method allows a higher filament density and an even distribution of the filament material. This results in a longer tool life, more aggressiveness and reproducible deburring results.” Composite brushes consist of a plastic main body in which the brush filament is firmly fixed or embedded. The filament consists of flexible plastic filament containing abrasive grains. Composite brushes from PFERD are available with a large number of filament types and configurations. Among others, aluminium oxide, silicon carbide and ceramic oxide grain are used as abrasive grain. When these grains are combined with different filament diameters and geometries, different brushing effects are achieved.

“Wheel brushes, disc brushes and end brushes with different dimensions are used as brush bodies,” says Rühle. “This way, we can work on almost any workpiece geometry.” Shank-mounted disc brushes DBUR with a bridle are a new addition to the line. “Because of the 6-mm shank, they can easily be mounted on hand-held drives or stationary machines,” adds Thomas Rühle. The bridle surrounding the filaments ensures that they are even compact under load and contributes to the special aggressiveness. Once the filament is worn down to the bridle, it can be removed so that the brush can continue to be used until the end of its service life. “Our customers achieve very long tool lives and very high surface qualities with these brushes.”

Shank-mounted end brushes PBUPR with a bridle are another new addition to the line. “They also have a very aggressive brushing effect, and their service lives are just as long.” PBUPR brushes have the stabilizing bridle too. Thanks to their compact design, they are particularly suitable for working on hard-to-reach areas, such as drilled holes and cavities.

PFERDVALUE describes the added value users receive when working with PFERD tools. PFERDValue takes ergonomic (PFERDERGONOMICS) and economic (PFERDEFFICIENCY) factors into consideration.

PFERDERGONOMICS: Thanks to the even distribution of the filament material, the brushes run smoothly and generate little vibration, reducing the load on manufacturing facilities and protecting the worker’s performance when used manually.

PFERDEFFICIENCY: The high level of aggressiveness and the long service life save time because they ensure fast stock removal and fewer tool changes, which results in less non-productive time. “For efficient use, application parameters such as the processing time and feed rate must be coordinated with each other and the suitable brush must be selected,” emphasises Thomas Rühle. “PFERD does not only offer a wide range of products for the various applications, but also has experienced sales representatives and technical advisers who will be happy to help with the coordination on-site.”