Forge & Foundry, Part 12 – Media and Compound Selection, Effluent Handling Drive Success
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Regardless of the industry, the selection of media and compounds utilized in mass finishing can elevate or hinder finishing results. The handling of effluents – used process water – also factors into a process’ efficiency and end results.
With more than 80 years of experience, Rosler understands the demands of the forge and foundry industries specifically and how to achieve precise and consistent finishing results by combining the latest technology, well-designed machines, and consumables.
This installment of the Forge & Foundry Blog Series highlights how careful media and compound selection along with proactive handling of effluents assist in producing mass finishing efficiencies.
Ingredients for Success
Media and compounds are more than just “rocks” and “soap” thrown into a mass finishing machine. Instead, these consumables are sophisticated tools that can make a mass finishing process a success or a failure.
Media choice with regard to shape, size, composition, and abrasiveness is as important as selecting the right machine. Selecting the wrong media could be detrimental to the process.
The level of media in a machine is equally important. If not introduced in the prescribed ratio, even the best suited media will fail to deliver the desired results. For example, increasing the ratio of media relative to the work pieces has a cushioning effect and helps prevent unwanted work piece damage in the form of nicking. Conversely, skimping on media levels can produce ineffective finishing as well as work piece damage.
Much like media, the compound selection must match the work piece material. For example, aluminum die-castings require a different compound than die-castings made from magnesium.
Applying compounds in the prescribed dosage is also key to maintaining finishing results. For example, insufficient compound usage can cause foaming in the machine and discoloration of finished work pieces.
Handled with Care
Mass finishing produces an effluent containing media and metal fines, various chemicals from the compounds, and sometimes even chelated metals. At this point a decision must be made; will the effluent be cleaned and recirculated or discharged as waste? In either case, contaminants must be removed first.
When discharging as waste, all contaminants must be removed to prevent pollution issues and discharge fines.
Additional mass finishing process efficiency and greater ROI can be attained by cleaning effluent for reuse. The use of centrifugal filters is an excellent treatment method for effluent which factors in added benefits including reduced water usage and compound longevity.
Rosler Centrifuge Technology
By removing all solids in the form of media and metal fines from the mass finishing effluent, centrifuges allow the cleaned liquid, now free of any solids, to be reused by recycling it back to the mass finishing machine. This can result in water consumption savings of more than 90 percent. Since centrifuges do not degrade the compound in the process liquid, drastically reduced usage of compounds may also be achieved.
The Rosler Way
Whether you need help selecting a whole mass finishing system or the consumables used within it, the Rosler team can help. Our motto of “finding a better way…” applies to big picture thinking and day-to-day machine operations. Contact us to share your needs so we can develop a solution.
The complete Forge & Foundry Series includes:
- Part 1 – Shot Blasting Systems.
- Part 2 – Efficient Recycling.
- Part 3 – Shot Blasting & Sand Castings.
- Part 4 – Selecting a Shot Blasting Machine for Sand Castings.
- Part 5 – Cleaning Features & Dust Precautions for Sand Castings.
- Part 6 – Selecting a Shot Blasting Machine for Die Castings.
- Part 7 – Selecting a Shot Blasting Machine for Forgings, Non-Sand Castings, and Powdered Metal Components.
- Part 8 – Frequently Used Shot Blasting Machines for Sand Castings.
- Part 9 – Frequently Used Shot Blasting Machines for Forgings, Non-Sand Castings, and Powdered Metal Components.
- Part 10 – Shot Blasting Machines Commonly Used for Die Castings.
- Part 11 – Top Mass Finishing machines for Cleaning Die Castings
- Part 12 – Media and Compound Selection, Effluent Handling Drive Success
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