Overcoming the shortage of skilled labor with smart shot blast solutions

Nowadays it is very difficult for manufacturing companies to find skilled workers. This also applies to relatively simple, repetitive activities like the loading and unloading of shot blast machines with work pieces. As replacement for such, sometimes, physically exhausting and monotonous tasks the automation of the work piece handling function by industrial robots is rapidly gaining in importance. In the area of shot blasting the Rösler RWK 6/12-2 swing chamber shot blast machine with automated work piece handling offers significant advantages. It can be used for all kinds of shot blast applications like surface cleaning, for example, de-sanding and descaling, surface homogenization and sophisticated shot peening operations. The work pieces treated in this machine include all kinds of castings and forgings, machined components, welded sheet metal parts and technical springs. 

Easy integration into manufacturing lines with a minimum of programming
With its surprisingly small footprint the compact shot blast machine requires very little space when integrated into linked manufacturing lines. Specially prepared interfaces in the machine controls facilitate the quick connection to higher-level production control systems. A standard industrial robot handles the work pieces by placing them into the blast chamber and removing them after completion of the blast cycle.  This task requires very little programming effort. A special clamping mechanism in the blast chamber holds the work pieces in place during the shot blast process.

Fully automatic, energy-saving operation with practically no unproductive times
In its standard version the RWK 6/12-2 can handle work pieces with diameters of up to 600 mm and lengths of up to 1,200 mm. The clever dual chamber design allows the work piece loading/unloading in one chamber, while the shot blast process takes place in the second chamber.  This practically eliminates any unproductive times. The machine is equipped with two Gamma G turbines, which guarantee short cycle times and energy-saving operation. The installed power of the turbines and their placement on the blast chamber is always adapted to the respective shot blasting task. These high-performance turbines are equipped with curved throwing blades in “Y” design. Compared to conventional turbines the special blade form with precisely calculated curvature produces a significantly higher media throwing speed.
This results in a 20 % higher shot blast performance with a significantly lower energy consumption. Overall, cost savings of up to 25 % can be achieved producing an overall excellent efficiency of the entire shot blasting operation. Another benefit of the “Y” shaped blade design is that both sides of the throwing blades can be used. This practically doubles their usable life. With a quick-change system the throwing blades can be easily replaced without having to remove the turbine from its housing. Idle equipment times are, therefore, minimized. Another key characteristic of the RWK 6/12-2 shot blast machine is its wear-resistant design: The blast chamber is made from manganese steel and is additionally lined with easily replaceable wear plates made from a low-wearing material.  

Digitization reduces operating costs and minimizes personnel requirements
Digitization modules from Rösler Smart Solutions allow the implementation of automation concepts that go far beyond the mere automatic work piece handling. This software package is designed to lower the operational costs and personnel requirements through intelligent process and equipment controls. At its center is the active monitoring and analysis of various machine components and process parameters, for example, the blast media flow rate, the quality of the media mix, the amperage draws of the turbines and the hours of operation. For example, this allows to allocate the CO₂ emissions generated by the shot blast process to the number of processed work pieces. Moreover, any deviations from the specified process parameters and malfunctions are displayed so that corrective actions can be quickly taken.
Many industries like automotive, aerospace and medical engineering frequently demand complete documentation of the operational data to control the compliance with precisely defined and validated process parameters.  Rösler Smart Solutions offers the perfect digital solution for these requirements. With the Smart Solutions modules Rösler also helps optimize the preventive maintenance of the equipment, for example, by keeping track of the operating hours, recorded uptime statistics and the automatic release of spare parts orders. With all its different functions the Rösler digitization solution helps maximize the equipment uptime and helps create considerable economic value.