We developed the Bearing Raceway Deburring Device (BRaDD) to automate burr removal from small metal bearings for our sponsor, JTEKT. During bearing manufacturing, lubrication holes drilled into the raceway often leave sharp metal burrs that can block lubricant or damage assembly tools, reduce product quality and bearing performance. JTEKT’s existing manual deburring process requires trained operators to complete tedious inspection and removal tasks, creating inconsistencies in surface finish and limiting opportunities for operators to focus on higher-value work.
We designed BRaDD to address JTEKT’s need for improved consistency and reduced manual labor as manufacturing moves toward automation. Our system accepts bearings of different sizes without manual adjustment by using a V-shaped support that naturally centers each part and positions the lubrication hole consistently. The V-shaped support contains rollers that spin to rotate the bearing during processing. As the bearing rotates, sensors detect the lubrication hole, and the deburring tool enters to smooth the inner surface. Once completed, the system moves the bearing to a finished pile.
BRaDD runs in a simple and repeatable sequence, providing JTEKT with a reliable automated solution that improves bearing quality while reducing manual deburring effort and supporting workplace productivity.
