When you are looking at your parts or talking about them with others the terms tend to get used interchangeably but they mean different things. When you cut a part you end up with a bur with very few exceptions. The process of removing that bur would be deburing obviously. That leaves you with a part that has no bur but can still have a crisp 90 degree corner. At that point you may be done or you could want to break that 90 degree corner and move into edge rounding. These things are not the same and are two separate tasks. While they can be combined they are two tasks none the less. Removing the bur and breaking the edges is about handling, welding, coating adhesion amidst other things and not about the visual appearance of the part. 

Well here we go “the salesman” trying to pitch me his machine above the others, right? Well no, we want you to buy the machine that has the most impact for you and your business. You may not believe it but I have advised plenty of people that one of our machines is not the solution to their problem. Selection of the machine that is going to have the most impact on our business and our bottom line is always a challenge. Whether that is a new laser, punch press, brake or a finishing machine.

After touching on the difference between polishing, graining and bur removal I wanted to give some information on how each is done. I do not intend to go too far but rather the basic how and why for each. As with all things there is often more than one way to do anything. This is just pulling from my own experience of over a decade and what others have shown and taught me as well.

Many times we all make assumptions based on our own knowledge. This can be a very deep conversation that gets into human nature and any number of other points. But I am noting that just because you know something is no indication others do. With that thought in mind I want to go back to the basics to help every one have a good foundation to build from.

Choosing a machine can be complicated. From floor space issues to getting everyone up to speed and able to use it successfully. Then there are the details such as how much is it? And when can I have it on the floor. There are an untold number of people selling finishing machines and it can be tough to sort through them. You want a machine that will do the job and not be out of service every time you turn around. This is where you can help yourself by weeding through the different avenues available to you.

I am no history expert by any means, it seems that Murphy's law is credited for better or worse to Capt Edward A Murphy. I always knew it as "What can go wrong will". I have no idea if that is where it started but unfortunately the statement seems to hold true.

My grandfather used to look at newer cars and say that they were too complicated. He was looking at the car as it would be in a few years when it would need repair. He was not afraid of the new technology but rather what problems it would bring later. Other than, the robot overlords taking over the world part, the rest of his argument made sense. Just because you can get a new anything with all kinds of add-ons and upgrades does not mean you should. If you get that new machine can your current staff operate and service it? If you need to bring in an outside factory tech for every little thing that goes wrong, the cost will certainly pile up over time. Keeping points like this in mind are important, as they are part of the big picture and the machine's True cost. It may not be an upfront cost but you are going to pay for it one way or the other.

In an effort to to provide more and better information on the Loewer machines I will be putting together more video content. The hope is to provide a repository of information to help you with a machine you have or one you are looking to purchase. These will range from a basic walk around to single topics in more depth. I will do my best to get content produced and uploaded on a consistent basis and add to it topics presented as areas of interest. So if you have ideas for content you think would be helpful please feel free to share your suggestions. The videos will be on our website as well as Youtube to make it easier to find where you may be looking for it. So feel free to post comments or to let me know what you would like to see covered.

As is always the case looking for ways to save money often leads to looking at many different paths. It can be the time invested in a process to vendor supplies and services. One area to look at that often hides savings is finishing.