PRE-TREATMENT , SURFACE PREPARATION , DEGREASING & CLEANING
Continuous flow shot blast machine for paint preparation
Interlinked , automated shot blasting system improves the quality and reduces costs
When a Polish manufacturer of complex steel weldments was ready to invest in a new shot blast machine , quality , capacity , high equipment uptime and integration into the manufacturing flow were the key selection criteria . As an essential part of the pre-treatment operation for a cathodic painting line , the new shot blast system had to produce optimal surface preparation results within an interlinked work flow in a 3-shift operation . The company chose a Rösler RHBD 17 / 32-K continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine because of its wear-resistant design and favorable operating costs .
The specialty of the Stelweld Sp . o . o . is the production of complex steel weldments , including machining , laser and CNC cutting , bending as well as wet painting and powder coating . With this market philosophy the
The shot blast machine , designed for the fully automatic blast cleaning of a broad spectrum of three-dimensional steel weldments , produces absolutely repeatable results . Other features are its wear-resistant construction , a high uptime and favorable operating costs . company , founded in 1997 , has established itself as a key supplier for such diverse industries as automotive , agricultural and construction equipment , cranes , including all kinds of lifting equipment , renewable energy and rail transport . Among many other companies Stelweld also sells its products to Scania , Volvo , Bombardier and Cargotec .
In the year 2019 a new building was erected to provide space for a new , fully automated cathodic painting line ( KTL ) with 16 operating stations and a power & free transport system . Danuta Dobrzynska , project manager at Stelweld , comments : “ Within the framework of this expansion we also wanted to automate the shot blasting operation and integrate it into the painting line . To date , the paint preparation process was predominantly done manually ”.
Sturdy equipment design and convincing test results
A high capacity , excellent shot blasting results , an outstanding equipment uptime and a high cost efficiency were the other key selection criteria . Among the five shot blast equipment manufacturers who were considered as potential suppliers , the customer chose Rösler with its continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine RHBD 17 / 32-K . “ I was familiar with Rösler through a project I dealt with , when working for another company .
Rösler does not offer the lowest price . But with regard to quality and technical features this supplier offered many advantages . Compared to the competitive products all essential components of the Rösler shot blast machine consist of wear-resistant materials , such as the throwing blades of the turbines , which are made from forged tool steel ”, explains Danuta Dobrzynska the decision for Rösler and continues : “ Another key factor for our decision were the results of the shot blasting trials that were conducted with some of our original components . In the Customer Experience Center at Rösler we achieved excellent shot blasting results , which provided valuable pointers for our actual shot blasting operation ”.
Technical features that ensure excellent results , outstanding efficiency and high uptime
The continuous feed spinner hanger blast machine RHBD 17 / 32-K allows the blast cleaning of a very wide spectrum of threedimensional weldments with dimensions of up to 2,500 x 1,200 x 3,000 mm ( L x W x H ) and weights of max . 1,250 kg . At cycle times of 6 to 8 minutes the automatic shot blasting process produces a finishing quality of SA 2,5 on the entire surface of the steel weldments and surface roughness values that are in full compliance with the standards defined by Stelweld and its customers . This ensures an excellent paint adhesion on the work pieces . To achieve such demanding results , the shot blast machine is equipped with 16 Gamma 400G turbines , each with a drive power of 15 kW . These high performance turbines , developed by Rösler , are furnished with throwing blades in “ Y ” design . Compared to conventional turbines , the special blade
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44 NOVEMBER 2021 read online : www . surfaceworld . com