Cutting tool manufacturer uses ultrasonic technology to remove burrs

Since May 2024, Intercable Tools GmbH, a more than 50-year-old manufacturer of connection technology and tools, has been using ultrasonic deburring technology from the German company UltraTEC innovation GmbH, part of the VOLLMER Group, to remove burrs from hydraulic units automatically and in a contact-free manner.

Together with Intercable Tec, a developer and manufacturer of automotive components, Intercable Tools forms a family-run business with branches worldwide and over 600 employees around the globe. For some time, Intercable Tools had been looking for an automated solution to the previous method of manually deburring hydraulic units of battery-powered hydraulic cutting tools made of aluminum and steel.

Hydraulic units like these are often used in hydraulic battery-powered perforators, which the company develops, manufactures, and distributes. These sheet metal punches are suitable for punching round, square, and rectangular holes up to 3 mm thick. The complex task for the UltraTEC ultrasonic deburring technology was not only to remove all detachable burrs from the inside and outside of the components, but also to automatically cut off any irritating chip clusters at the bore intersections.

“We were looking for an innovative alternative to manual deburring. It’s also important for us to produce variants without setup time,” said Heinz Pramstaller, Team Leader of Metal Production at Intercable Tools. “The deburring process should also be optimally integrated into the process and the components should be cleaned in the same product carrier in the parts cleaning system.” 

Automating the manual process
The companies first came into contact at the DeburringEXPO in Karlsruhe, Germany, in October 2023. Heinz Pramstaller had brought along the component to be deburred and so an initial deburring test was carried out on the show machine.

The component was manually guided to the sonotrode, with a positive result. The advantages of this method over the previous manual deburring process quickly became apparent to Intercable Tools. Ultrasonic deburring means that the results remain the same, there is no damage to drill holes and uncontrolled material removal is generally avoided. It also guarantees that no holes are overlooked, which can happen with manual deburring. The ultrasonic deburring process also has the advantage that cross bores can be deburred and rinsed out at the same time. The initial tests for Intercable Tools were therefore very promising.

Patented ultrasonic deburring
Non-contact ultrasonic deburring with the patented sonotrode forms the foundation of the UltraTEC technology. Components to be deburred are guided in a process water basin along the tip of an ultrasonic sonotrode, whose generated vibrations cause the burrs and chamfers to break off in an automated and energy-efficient manner.

Stimulated by a generator, the sonotrode oscillates back and forth 20,000 times per second over 0.1 millimeters. These generated vibrations move burrs and chamfers back and forth until they break off with sharp edges in a process-safe manner. Similarly, ultrasonic deburring does not apply any temperature to sensitive components, which often leads to deformation and discoloration. In addition to deburring common metals, UltraTEC systems can also be used with components made from various titanium and nickel alloys, as well as fiber-reinforced plastics.

From test to commission
At UltraTEC’s premises in Germany, numerous automated deburring tests were carried out with components from Intercable Tools. Detailed documentation was provided for each test so that the specialists from Intercable Tools could assess each one accordingly. Regular coordination meetings and a visit at the manufacturing site in Germany led to an order for the A25 S ultrasonic deburring technology in late March 2024. Less than four months later, the A25S was put into operation at Intercable Tools in Bruneck in South Tyrol.

“We’re delighted that we were able to implement the project in such a short time and that Intercable Tools chose UltraTEC to automate the deburring process”, says Thomas Benzing, Sales Manager at UltraTEC innovation GmbH. “It’s very important to us to maintain a sense of partnership and trust when working with our customers.”