The company manufactures various mounts, rod storage devices, downriggers, planer reels and masts, electronics and accessories at its Chesaning, Michigan plant. Quality is built into the company’s culture, and all its products are covered by a lifetime warranty.

To fabricate these products, Traxstech uses approximately 40 tons of aluminum every year. The aluminum is precision saw-cut into more than 1000 parts that go into 140 different assemblies, according to Traxstech owner Jeff Miller.

“Every cut leaves a burr,” Miller said. “and every burr can pose a quality or a safety problem. During manufacturing, burrs keep the parts from fitting into the jaws of our CNC machines. Our finished products need to be burr-free to fit precisely together. Besides, sharp edges on a boat could be dangerous to passengers and crew.”

For years, Traxstech deburred manually with hand sanders, files, blades, and anything else that would work. But as business increased and the company grew, hand-deburring became inefficient and impractical.

“A few years ago I was visiting a supplier that was using an Abtex deburring system,” Miller said. “I knew Abtex had a good reputation in the industry, and the supplier couldn’t recommend them highly enough. I called Abtex and they had me ship them some parts so I could see what could be done.”

Liking the results, Miller purchased a single-head, semi-automatic end deburring system, with Abtex-customized brushes designed specifically for Traxstech.   The 2-horsepower motor drives a 12" nylon abrasive filament brush, and the machine features a variable-speed drive. Its table accommodates extrusions from four to 46 inches long.

“I knew this was the machine we needed,” Miller said. “Having full control over the speed allows us to maintain high quality and efficiency at the same time. We can now create consistent 0.060-in. radiuses.” 

Miller used to worry about payback since the machine would sit idle for long periods.

“That doesn’t bother me now,” he said.   “It’s a very short learning curve, so any of our guys can jump on it anytime. The system paid for itself in 24 months.”