Wire cup brushes are cup-shaped brushing devices made of carbon steel or stainless steel filaments. Manufacturers of machine parts and machine shops use them for surface preparation, deburring and surface finishing. Uses include removal of rust, paint and welding scale. Wire cup brushes are being utilized for metal cleaning and edge blending.
A type of power brush, a wire cup, may have an arbor hole to support their attachment to grinding equipment. There are different types of wire cups available, but tool selection is not just about filament material, which is a function of the work piece. You’ll also need to understand the differences between the crimped wire cup brush and the Knotted Twist Cup Brush to choose the correct wire cup brush. Brush diameter, wire size and trim length are also important to take into account while choosing the correct brush.
Crimped Wire vs. Knotted Wire
With wire cup brushes, cutting and cleaning occurs at the tips of the tool; however, small pieces of wire can break down during normal metalworking operations. In order to ensure that these breaks are clean and that sharp new edges are visible, the wire filaments are crimped. Usually, crimped wire cup brushes are used for lighter duty service.
Cup brushes can even have knotted ends to support tool tips and facilitate more vigorous brushing action. Knotted wire cup brushes are available in single-row, double-row and cable twist styles. Double-row tools offer additional fast cutting and cleaning over wide areas. The most vigorous brushing action is given by cup brushes with cable twists.
Features of cup brushes:
Some of the unique features of cup brushes include that they can be encapsulated with a lubricant that provides non-shield characteristics. Certain useful features include longevity, best long-lasting finishing standard and precision engineering. Diameter, shaft and face length may be standard, or customers may request a customized version.
Brush Diameter, Wire Size, and Trim Length
Wire cup brushes are available in a variety of tool diameters for surface preparation, deburring and surface finishing projects. For example, crimped wire cup brushes with an integral shaft are available in sizes as small as 1-3/4 “to 2-3/4.” The crimped cups with an arbor hole are available in sizes from 3 “to 6.” Knotted Twist Cup Brush with single and double rows are also available in different diameters up to 6”.
Smaller surfaces do not always need smaller tools, so it is necessary to assess all your surface preparation, deburring and surface finishing requirements. It involves wire size and length of trim. Remember choosing the biggest wire size is not always the right answer. Often, shorter trim brushes are more powerful but less flexible.