Castings Company Increases Productivity with EZEFIT(TM) Wheels
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Feb. 28, 2007
A current QS-9000 qualified Indiana producer of grey iron castings, in business since 1937, is benefiting from an EZEFIT(TM) wheel upgrade to improve the cleaning of their high production castings such as water pumps, compressor housings, manifolds, gas valves, pulleys, gears and bearing housings.
Years ago, the company installed a 34 Super Tumblast® machine to clean the many castings that the company produces. In 1985, the Wheelabrator® blast wheel was replaced with a competitor's wheel. As production demands increased over the years, the cleaning room personnel struggled with thru-put, to the point where it considered purchasing a new shot blasting machine.
The company's Tumblast machine operates nine-hour shifts five to six days weekly to accommodate the 70 tons of grey iron castings, ranging from one pound to fifty pounds. The company experienced constant slowdown with the competitor's wheel, causing the line to overload the input conveyer. When the primary casting cleaning slowed down, parts had to be carried to a secondary 34 Super Tumblast machine designated to reclean castings from the first machine. On average, the shot blasting process runs about 20 hours a day, but the slowdown with the competitor's wheels required shot blasting to run 24 hours daily.
The solution was to replace the competitor's wheel with an EZEFIT(TM) wheel in the Spring of 2006. The company saw immediate reductions in its blast cycle times. With the competitors wheel the average blast cycle time was 16 minutes. With the new Wheelabrator® wheel blast cycle times were reduced to 11 minutes.
The company changed the first set of blades on the EZEFIT wheel after two months of production. This is an "exceptional life for wheel blast parts considering the demands of an iron casting foundry," said Russ Kuc, Wheelabrator Territory Manager.
The new wheels allow the company to improve cycle time, increase production capabilities and reduce abrasive consumption. Additionally, the secondary Tumblast machine is now being used for its intended purpose, instead of having to help the primary Tumblast catch up on cleaning castings.
The EZEFIT family of Wheelabrator® wheels offers the latest technology in wheel design, reducing maintenance cost and improving productivity. One advantage of using bi-directional wheels (clockwise or counterclockwise) for wheel applications is that it lowers parts inventory costs. Wheelabrator has capitalized on this advantage with a direct-drive design that offers standard or custom base mounting for increased versatility. EZEFIT wheels are available in 3-1/2" or 2-1/2" blade widths. In order to meet any application, a variety of wheel diameters from 13" to 27" are offered with RPM versions ranging from 3600 to 1800.
To insure consistent control cage location no matter how many times the tune-up kits are changed, TARGETLOK® control cage positioning is now a standard feature on all EZEFIT wheels.
TARGET-TRAK(TM) blast pattern adjustment is an available feature that allows for the efficient remote control of blast pattern targeting from the control panel.
Wheelabrator Plus, which is the parts, equipment modernization and service division of the Wheelabrator Group, helps customers improve the efficiency of their existing blast equipment operations. Focusing solely on the aftermarket, Wheelabrator Plus works with all customers to provide effective solutions for difficult cleaning problems. Wheelabrator Plus regionally based sales and service teams provide an extensive range of Equipment Modernization Programs (EMP) and support services including: on-site training, maintenance, repair and service programs. Wheelabrator Plus offers a complete range of replacement parts for a variety of wheel blast and air blasting applications. For more information on EZEFIT wheels, call 1-800-845-8508.
Wheelabrator Group is a global provider of surface preparation and finishing solutions. Committed to offering the broadest array of technologies, products, services and technical know-how, Wheelabrator Group works closely with customers to deliver the best solutions for their specific requirements. The company's strategically located and electronically linked offices allow Wheelabrator Group to provide unrivalled customer service and support worldwide. For more information on Wheelabrator visit the web site at www.wheelabratorgroup.com or e-mail info@wheelabratorgroup.com.
URL: www.wheelabratorgroup.com
Contact Name: Pam Akin
E-mail: pamakin@wheelabratorgroup.com
