Prior to the use of the ATL iTEM 400 Plus, the removal of burrs was a labor intensive procedure at the FORCE America Valve Division site in Alexandria, MN. Burrs are formations on metal that create rough edges and ridges that need to be removed in order to keep the high quality. Previously this removal process slowed down production dramatically, but with the inclusion of the new deburring machine FORCE America has transitioned to a more efficient and speedy deburring method that takes about 2 minutes per cycle on the machine. The total run time varies by how long it takes to load and unload. Some of parts we are only able to fit 1 per chamber, while others we may get 50-60 parts on it. The burn is 4532-5972°F, for a split second, vaporizing the burr.

Our old processing of deburring was a manual method that required a lot of time and effort from workers. The new process used, the Thermal Energy Method (TEM) can manage multiple surfaces at a time, reducing the procedure time from as much as 45 minutes to less than 15 with our ability to do many pieces at a time. With the addition of the machine, deburring is no longer the bottle neck, and we are able to keep up with the 8 mills that are producing Aluminum parts around the clock.

FORCE America continues to work with the best technology and methodology to give our customers high quality products.