Foundry-Specific Shot Blasting Achieves Increased Efficiency
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Replacing a shot blasting machine for a long-time customer requires finding a better way to deliver efficient finishing in a faster, smaller, and more maintenance-friendly way. That’s exactly what Rosler delivered when Linde Material Handling (Linde) returned to us for a shot blasting upgrade.
Linde is a supplier of forklift trucks and warehouse equipment and also provides technical intralogistics solutions and services. With a sales and service network spanning more than 100 countries, the company has a global footprint.
For this particular partnership, Linde’s foundry in Weilbach, Germany, challenged Rosler to supply a new shot blasting system capable of finishing and maneuvering the counterweights it manufactures for forklifts. Our solution was a sturdy foundry version of a continuous hanger shot blast machine known as the RHBD 22/27-F.
The Situation
Linde continuously strives to improve its manufacturing operations. As such, the new machines had to accomplish several goals, including faster processing, more flexible material flow, optimized utilization of available space, improved access to all critical maintenance areas, and increased overall efficiency.
Working closely with the Linde project team, Rosler identified ways to optimize the material flow and increase overall flexibility within the shot blasting technology utilized. To fulfill the demand for better utilization of space, these technology enhancements were built into a customized version of the RHBD continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine.
The Solution
The newly created machine is setting new standards for surface finishing in the foundry industry, and its fully automatic and flexible operation integrates seamlessly into Linde’s existing manufacturing systems.
Within the scope of the newly laid out material handling process, raw castings are deposited in a specially reserved and clearly marked staging area in front of the blast machine’s inlet chamber. An operator then manually positions the castings and prompts the system to transport the work pieces through the shot blasting chamber.
Different PLC programs define and store specific shot blasting and transporting parameters based on the specific work piece being processed. This ensures that the various counterweight types are perfectly clean and free of residual molding sand after shot blasting.
The work pieces also display highly homogeneous surface roughness and the typical casting structure even after subsequent painting.
The Process
After work pieces have been manually positioned in the staging area, trolleys on a power and free work piece transport system pick up and carry them through the different machine sections, including the inlet, blast, and outlet chambers according to predetermined indexing time intervals.
A rendering of the RHBD 22/27-F’s blast media return and cleaning systems
Despite being housed in a very tight space, Linde’s new RHBD is easily accessible for maintenance thanks to placing the return system for blast media and sand underneath the shot blasting machine.
The system also includes a return system for sand left on the staging area after manual positioning.
Both collections of sand and debris as well as any sand and blast media from the outlet chamber are transferred to the central screening hopper below the blast chamber where sand clumps, burrs, and metal flashings are separated, transferred to a sturdy Z conveyor belt, and discharged from the machine.
The remaining sand/media mix is transported to an elevator and into a highly efficient media cleaning system. Consisting of a dual-stage magnetic separator and an airwash system, the media cleaner ensures high cleaning efficiency, guarantees trouble-free operation, and minimizes wear and tear on the shot blasting machine.
The Specifications
The three-chamber design of Linde’s RHBD shot blast machine also helps to minimize the escaping of sand, blast media, and dust into the immediate environment.
The RHBD 22/27-F blast chamber
At the center of the entire shot blast system is the blast chamber with five specially placed blast turbines. The chamber is made from wear-resistant austenitic manganese steel, grade X120Mn12.
For additional wear protection, the blast chamber is also lined with 25 mm thick replaceable cast chromium plates.
A large maintenance platform, easily accessible by stairs, greatly facilitates these and other required maintenance activities.
The Rosler Way
“Finding a better way…” is more than a motto at Rosler; it’s our mission. With more than 80 years of experience and a portfolio containing more than 15,000 equipment and consumable products, solving challenges is what we do. Contact us today to discuss your surface finishing goals and how we can deliver improvements!
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