Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Process Water, Part 1 – Understand When to Balance Flow or Flood the Process Bowl

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Maintaining the correct compound and water flow rate into a mass finishing machine is essential for the stability and success of a process.

If inadequate compound and water are supplied to the machine, results will be more extreme and lead to unpredictable processing times, ineffective finishing, dirty work pieces after finishing, glazed media, and, potentially, a total collapse of the process.

Excessive compound and water flow can be equally problematic. Too much water and compound will slow down the movement of media and work pieces in the machine or cause a complete stop.

For example, in rotary vibrators the typical spiral movement of the media/work piece mix will give way to an uncontrolled shaking. In centrifugal disc machines, the rotating spinner will slip under the media/work piece mix with no movement at all.

Longer processing times, poor finishing results, and even a complete collapse of the process can occur.

For the best results and stability, Rosler understands that the flow rate of compound and water into the machine must be equal to the flow rate out of the machine.

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Shot Blasting

Equipment Investment Doubles Work Piece Longevity at Andersen Steel

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Andersen Steel produces agricultural equipment including grubbers, front packers, and stubble tillers equipped with vibration tines for soil cultivation. Their equipment is exposed to extreme loads, causing decreased wear life of parts including the tines.

Made using specially arched rolled steel at the company’s Poland plant, Andersen Steel tasked engineers at Rosler with finding a better way to process the tines and improve their wear life. We delivered a solution in the form of two identical machines for blast cleaning and shot peening.

Delivering a Solution

Compared to flat steel, the rounded edges of the material Andersen uses prevent small cracks from forming during the shaping process. The work pieces pass through a blast machine to remove mill scale and other contaminants before shot peening to further improve their wear resistance.

For these dual shot blasting requirements, Rosler suggested two identical Rosler RHBD 13/18 K hanger machines. Successful blasting trials in a Rosler test center helped Andersen realize the advantages of purchasing these Rosler machines by demonstrating that shot peening the work pieces doubled the uptime of the tines.

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Structural Steel

Surface Preparation Standards, Part 2 – Dust Measurements and Considerations

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As an expert in the surface finishing industry, Rosler knows that all the expertise in the world won’t do any good if the surface of the work piece is not properly prepared.

When it comes to structural steel, we receive many questions about preparation. Among the most common questions is, “How is the presence of dust on shot-blasted structural steel components evaluated?”

Understanding dust considerations and mitigation will help produce higher quality and longer-lasting structural steel components more cost-effectively and safely.

The Dangers of Dust

Blast-cleaned structural steel surfaces must be completely free of dust to ensure proper coating and painting. Residual dust will reduce the adhesion of subsequently applied coatings and, by absorbing moisture, may promote the corrosion of the blast‐cleaned steel surfaces.

The potential accumulation of dust is especially critical on horizontal surfaces, the interior of pipes, and inside structural cavities. Special inspections must be carried out to ensure that such areas are adequately cleaned and free from dust before painting.

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Shot Blasting, Structural Steel

Surface Preparation Standards, Part 1 – Evaluating Surfaces Throughout Finishing Processes

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Surface preparation can account for up to 40 percent of structural steel painting and repainting jobs and the life of anti‐corrosion coatings on a steel surface largely depend on how thoroughly the surface was prepared before painting.

At Rosler, we have extensive experience evaluating structural steel surfaces for coating before and after shot blasting. This knowledge of surface preparation standards and the widely used ISO and SSPC standards guide us in developing systems to expertly prepare and repair structural steel throughout its lifespan.

The Standards

Evaluating rust and mill scale pre- and post-shot blasting is a must. It is important to clearly specify the quality of the surface prior to preparation as well as the surface conditions after preparation. As a result, standards were developed to visually assess the initial surface conditions and the quality of the required surface preparation relative to the initial steel surface conditions.

The dominant and widely used standards for evaluating rust and mill scale are ISO 8501‐1:2007 (based on the Swedish Standard SIS 05 59 00) and the SSPC (Steel Structures Painting Council). While different in some minor details, these standards are practically identical.

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Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 3 – Materials Must Provide Strength, Safety

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For millions of individuals, orthopedic implants provide the ability to regain mobility and reduce pain. Just as surgical skill is required to implant these artificial joints, so is skillful construction and finish of the joint components themselves.

A leader in surface finishing for medical technology, Rosler has extensive experience in shot blasting and mass finishing a wide range of medical devices from instruments to implants used specifically for joint replacement.

Our Orthopedic Implant Series continues with an overview of the most common materials used for these endoprosthetic implants.

Popular Materials

To date, the most common materials have been titanium, titanium alloys, and cobalt-chromium alloys. Both materials are very tough, resistant to corrosion, highly biocompatible, and absolutely reliable.

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Medical

Patient-Specific Implants Call for Equally Customized Processing

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Advancements in medical technology now allow for the development of Patient-Specific Implants (PSI). Specialized computer programs analyze x-rays, ultrasound, and MRI images to create surgical guides, tools, and implants tailored to the patient’s unique anatomy.

While still emerging, many medical industry suppliers have received FDA approval for PSI use. Like traditional implants, these implants must be carefully finished once created to ensure the work piece meets stringent medical safety standards while promoting patient comfort and long wear life.

The benefits of PSI use include shorter surgery times, better surgical outcomes, and cost savings.

True to its “apply innovation” tagline, Renishaw’s Medical and Healthcare Division has found great success in additively manufacturing PSI. Using CT scan-to-CAD software, one of the company’s most innovative advances is creating cranial plates using titanium powder.

When determining how to finish the implants to precise medical requirements and surgical demands, Renishaw trusted Rosler for help with mass finishing.

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Shot Blasting

Wet Blasting Equipment & Media, Part 2 – Technical Components Combine for Systematic Success

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Wet blasting technology lends itself to a variety of processes and industries. From applying cosmetic (anti-glare) finishes and surface smoothing to deburring, de-powdering, decontaminating, and cleaning after casting, welding, and additive manufacturing, wet blasting has many capabilities.

Rosler has decades of worldwide experience developing technology and machines customized to each customer’s unique challenges and demands. Each solution we deliver is innovatively designed around core wet blasting components and calibrated to your work piece with carefully selected media and tested process parameters.

Basics Components

Wet Blast Principle Diagram

Regardless of their uses, all Rosler wet blasting machines start with a core group of components. While customized options and accessories can be added, these systems typically include 10 key components.

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Mass Finishing

Centrifuge Technology, Part 5 – Potential Issues and Remedies for Water Recycling

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Trial and error are often the origin of innovation. As such, mass finishing and centrifuge technology have been advanced by building upon what worked and avoiding what didn’t.

With more than 80 years of experience, Rosler has extensive engineering knowledge and troubleshooting skills. An overview of the top three issues centrifuge water recycling systems experience along with possible remedies are summarized here. As always, trust a partner such as Rosler to consult on your specific issues.   

Excess Oil in the System

Too much oil may be carried into the finishing system by the work pieces, for example, in stamping operations.

The excess oil will negatively affect the mass finishing process. The media might become “glazed” causing longer processing times and poorer finishing results. In addition, the finished work pieces may also be contaminated with oil residue.

Possible remedies include cleaning of the work pieces prior to mass finishing, for example, with an industrial washing machine, or switching to an alternative oil type that can be better emulsified by the compound for better discharge from the process water.

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Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Water & Compounds, Part 2 – Precise Water Flow, Dosing Drive Results

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A number of factors contribute to mass finishing success. Machinery, consumables, compounds, and process water must be evaluated individually and as a whole to create optimal results and stable process conditions.

When considering the flow rate of compound and process water into the processing bowl of a mass finishing machine, careful calibration is required based on the machine type and size, finishing task, condition of the raw work pieces, and process water conditions.

For example, high‐energy machines require a much higher flow rate than vibratory finishing systems. Similarly, work pieces heavily contaminated with oil, grease, and/or dirt require more compound and water than less contaminated work pieces.

Water flow and compound dosing rates are usually determined by processing trials in the test lab of the equipment supplier. Once a finishing process has been defined, the user must make sure that the established water and compound flow parameters are precisely maintained. This requires a well-calibrated and well-maintained dosing system.

At Rosler, we draw upon more than 80 years of worldwide experience to create and maintain effective mass finishing systems and deliver precise results. Our ability to do so is thanks, in part, to understanding the importance of water flow and compound dosing.

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Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 2 – Required Component Characteristics Define Finish

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Joint reconstruction implants are subject to the same zero-defect performance and reliability standards as any other implant. However, because two components are always interacting with each other, dimensional accuracy is of particu­lar importance.

Within the medical industry, surface finishing experts such as Rosler assist implant manufacturers in achieving the exact finish needed for each surface of the joint.

In addition to increasing product popularity and demand for the manufacturer and providing medical professionals with safe and dependable joint replacements, ensuring that orthopedic implants have the exact finishing required enables the joint to function longer and more comfortably for the patient.

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Shot Blasting and Mass Finishing Surface Finishing Experts

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