Power Brush Engineering Guide

Power brushes are designed for applications such as deburring, cleaning, and rust and paint removal. They come in a variety of types, including wheel, cup, end, and encapsulated. Mini-grinder cup and wheel brushes, pilot bonding brushes, and flare brushes are also available. When selecting industrial brushes of any kind, buyers need to consider both technical specifications and application requirements.

To help power brush buyers choose the right tool for the job, Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) offers a free Power Brush Engineering Guide. This one-page resource covers the required horsepower for driving power brushes, recommended surface speeds for various power brush applications, and tips for optimal brushing action. Here are some highlights.

Required Horsepower for Driving Power Brushes
To drive a power brush, users must determine the amount of horsepower that’s necessary.  There are four factors to consider.

·         Required brushing pressure

·         Resistance between the work surface and the brush (trim length)

·         Brush speed

·         Brush face width

Based upon the medium brushing action for a 1” brush face, the Power Brush Engineering Guide lists the necessary motor size (hp) and revolutions per minute (rpm) for power brush tools of various diameters. As a rule, power brushes with a wider face require additional horsepower depending on the relative brush load. Typically, short-trim power brushes require more horsepower than long-trim power brushes.

Recommended Surface Speeds for Brushing Applications
The Power Brush Engineering Guide also recommends surface feet per minute for brushing applications such as burr or scale removal, weld cleaning, edge blending, wet or dry cleaning, surface polishing, and surface blending. There’s also an easy-to-read table of peripheral surface speeds for power brushes with various inch-based diameters.

Tips for Optimal Brushing Action
Brush Research Manufacturing understands that there are many variables to consider when selecting power brushes. Although one or more brush tools may achieve the same results, there may be differences in brush performance. That’s why the  Power Brush Engineering Guide offers guidelines for achieving a faster finish, finer finish, and longer brush life.

This free resource from BRM also provides tips for reaching irregular surface areas and removing burrs instead of roughing or preening them. To learn more from the Power Brush Engineering Guide, just visit this page on our website, or click here for a free .pdf version. Please let us know if you have questions or comments about power brushes any of BRM’s industrial brush tools.