

MMA, TIG/MIG/MAG or Plasma welding leave different types of contamination or debris in the weld seam. Slag, splatters, silicates or thermal bluing need to be removed. If the welded component is subsequently coated, defects or corosion may occur on areas where contamination or non-metallic debris is embedded in the surface of the seam.
For each welding method and weld position (cap, fill or root) Osborn and Dronco offer the appropriate cleaning tool. Stock-removing and non-stock removing tools are available.
Input your parameters and a recommendation for the right tool for your application is shown.
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Depending on te welding method, contamination or other non-metallic debris can become embedded in the surface of the weld seam. Non-metallic debris may not adhere to the weld seam as well as other materials. If the welded component is subsequently coated, defects or corrosion may occur at this point. Especially when manufacturing high-precision parts, like in the automotive or pipeline industry this is not only a quality issue but can also become a safety issue.
Machining is often necessary to remove debris from a welded surface. It is accepted that during this process non-contaminated and debris-free parts of the weld seam will also be removed. This is sometimes more than 30% of the material. Unlike grinding discs, technical brushes are non-stock removing tools. They can remove contamination and debris, leaving the rest of the welded surface intact. Technical brushes for weld cleaning offer many advantages:
Brushes (left) produce more than 95% fewer sparks than grinding discs (right).
Wire brushes are 6-8 dB(A) less noisy than grinding tools.
According to studies the noise level in the metalworking industry is one of the highest compared to other industries.
EU guidelines foresee a noise level of 85 dB(A) per day.
Coarse cleaning fleece behaves like technical brushes and removes deposits – without chipping. They are particularly recommendable for surface processing.
Coarse cleaning fleece is not suitable for edge grinding or deburring!
Grinding discs are material-removing tools and mostly used to remove a lot of material in a short time, thus resulting in a coarse grinding pattern.
When working with a grinding disc, heat is generated which may lead to thermal bluing on the workpiece.
Flap discs are material-removing tools as well. Compared to grinding discs, their removal rate is lower. Thanks to their overlapping lamellas, they create a finer, uniform finish and are more pleasant to use.
Flap discs can be used more versatile:
Polishing flap discs (coarse and medium) are made of a non-woven fleece in an overlapping flap structure and provide outstanding results during preparation, post-processing or reworking welding seams and removing welding spatters. Polishing flap discs remove oxide films and thermal discoloration caused by the welding of pipes, tanks and other devices.
Post-processing of a welding seam using a polishing flap disc
More than 120 years of know-how and manufacturing expertise – this is what makes Osborn special. We manufacture according to EU-standards DIN EN 1083-1 and DIN EN 1083-2. Our operations and product quality are monitored and certified by DIN EN ISO 9001:2015. In addition to this we also fulfill the requirements of the American National Safety Insitute (ANSI). For more than 700 products of our standard assortment we have been awarded a certification by TÜV-Süd (German association dedicated to safety, reliability and quality testing and auditing in industry segments).
Osborn has two R&D centers located in Germany and USA. At both sites the lab facilitates a state-of –the-art industrial robot cell, specifically developed for us that carries out a wide variety of product performance and quality tests. We can also simulate applications for our customers and by this help to optimize their manufacturing process. Do you also have a manufacturing process in surface cleaning/treatment, which you want to optimize? Together we will find the right solution.