Assembly and Testing Processes
HydroEROsive Machining – HERO
In hydroEROsive machining, or HERO for short, an abrasive-laden fluid is directed through the internal geometry of a workpiece under high pressure. This flow-based process enables precise deburring, edge rounding, and calibration of bores and flow cross-sections for a wide range of industrial applications—ensuring that defined drawing specifications and component requirements are reliably met.
HERO Precision Jet expands the HERO portfolio with a new technology for hydroerosive machining of external surfaces and edges. This creates additional application possibilities for use cases requiring defined and reproducible edge quality.
With our many years of experience in both process design and the development and implementation of corresponding systems, we create tailored HERO solutions precisely adapted to your needs.
Hydroerosive machining
One process, three possibilities
Deburring
With HERO machining, you can efficiently and precisely remove internal burrs in a controlled manner. This may be necessary to ensure the functionality of a component, but also to improve ergonomics or aesthetics.
Rounding
The process also enables you to smooth and round bore intersections, ensuring consistent performance throughout the component’s service life. It improves high-pressure resistance, meaning the component will not wear or will wear significantly more slowly even under high pressures. Additionally, it mimics an artificial pre-aging process for the component. The HERO process is also capable of machining complexly shaped workpieces.
Flow calibration
Due to the low viscosity of the process medium used, the method is also well-suited for flow calibration of bores. Throughout the entire process, you can monitor the increasing flow rate of the component and stop precisely at the desired value. This enables you to achieve flow tolerances of ±1% with high process reliability
How does the HERO process work?
The fluid containing abrasive particles flows through the component along internal bore intersections or geometries. The rounding effect occurs as these particles are accelerated by the narrowing of a cross-section—when one bore transitions into another with a smaller diameter. As a result, the particles achieve high kinetic energy and, due to the focused flow, strike the walls or edges of the bore at high speed. This process effectively removes material.
In this video
you will learn more about our HERO process!
The perfect process medium
To achieve the desired flow rates, geometries, and rounding degrees, the optimal rheological specification of the process medium must be defined.
Depending on the application, the media are formulated as either mineral oil-based or water-based and adjusted to viscosities ranging from 0.5 to several 10,000 mPa·s (millipascal seconds). Boron carbide, a highly abrasive ceramic, is used as the abrasive particle.
Additionally, the grinding fluids are specifically formulated with additives to provide effective corrosion protection for the components being processed.
The process medium is fully developed and manufactured in-house. This ensures consistently high quality as well as reproducible and stable process characteristics.
For which components is the HERO process suitable?
You can use the HERO process for a wide variety of components, with the bore size being a crucial factor. Our systems can hydroerosively machine holes with diameters ranging from 0.1 to 5 millimeters. The workpieces can be made from materials such as steel, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel-chromium-based superalloy, and precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum. Additionally, we can process hard metals, glass, ceramics, plastics, and fiber-reinforced composites. Many other materials can also be accommodated. Please feel free to reach out to us.
HERO
Further highlights
Clean Process Medium
Thanks to its excellent wetting properties and compatibility with rinsing and testing fluids, the process medium can easily wash out particles. Depending on requirements, the necessary cleanliness classes in accordance with VDA19/ISO16232 can be met. The water-based process medium offers a number of advantages in particular: it is hygienic and has a low carbon footprint.
Calibrate Flow Safely
The HERO process allows you to calibrate the flow rate of a workpiece with a high degree of accuracy. To do this, we select the appropriate fluid depending on the component. Throughout the entire process, the operator can monitor the increasing flow rate in real time, precisely adjust it to the required value, and thus set the flow tolerances with process reliability.
Effortlessly Simple Operation
Because our systems are closed systems, operating errors are eliminated in the HERO process. The user only needs to manually load the machine or change the pallets as needed. For higher quantities, automatic loading is available, such as with a robot loading module. This enables seamless integration of processes. The loading module can be positioned, for instance, after erosion or laser drilling and before HERO processing.
Depending on your requirements, we can provide you with a simple developing machine or a system designed for large-scale production. As a trusted partner, we have been offering unique solutions for our customers’ demands for over 30 years.
HERO Precision Jet
With the new HERO Precision Jet process variant, we significantly expand the capabilities of hydroerosive machining. In addition to internal edges and bores, nearly all edges and surfaces can now be selectively deburred or rounded, significantly increasing the service life of highly stressed components and tools.
From component testing to mass production
HERO Precision Jet addresses increasing demands for edge quality in fields such as toolmaking, medical technology, and aerospace. The process is designed for industrial mass production. Preliminary trials and tests with customer-specific components are possible.
HERO Precision Jet
More information
How does HERO Precision Jet work?
Machining is performed by using a jet of a custom-formulated suspension of water or hydraulic oil and abrasive particles. This jet is directed at the component according to predefined parameters. The degree of edge rounding can be individually adjusted to the specific workpiece by controlling pressure, machining time, and nozzle angle.
Depending on the component and application, HERO Precision Jet achieves rounding radii of ten to 30 micrometers. Machining is generally automated using an industrial robot. Process parameters can be stored for each specific component and automatically loaded when changing products.
Before machining with Precision Jet
After machining
What are the advantages of this procedure?
The process improves surface quality, creates a uniform edge structure, and thereby provides optimal conditions for downstream coating processes.
HERO Precision Jet is currently used primarily for carbides and steels. Based on experience gained from the classic HERO process, other materials such as aluminum, plastics, ceramics, titanium, or Inconel are also possible.
HERO Precision Jet at a glance
Key technical features and application possibilities of HERO Precision Jet:
- Hydroerosive machining of external surfaces and relevant edges
- Reliable deburring and rounding in the micrometer range
- Rounding radii between ten and 30 µm, adjustable depending on the component
- Component-specific parameters can be stored and retrieved
- Automated processing using an industrial robot is possible
- Cycle times between ten and 120 seconds
- Improved surface quality through a uniform edge structure
- Optimized conditions for downstream coating processes
- Applicable to various materials
Do you have any questions? Contact us.
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