Consumables

New Compounds Double Process Water Usability

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Experienced manufacturers know that optimum mass finishing process water handling, dosing, and recycling can significantly reduce operational costs and improve finishing results.

With approximately 15,000 different products and the largest, continuously expanding range of media and compounds in the world, Rosler has the machines, consumables, and the experience to develop and maintain precise, efficient, and sustainable surface finishing processes.

Our latest innovation in the field of consumables, Long Life Compounds known as LF compounds, allows mass finishing operations to further optimize their process water cycles.

Advantages

LF compounds utilize a special combination of raw materials to guarantee a remarkably high degree of sanitary stability. So much so that, in most cases, the addition of biocides to process water can be eliminated or greatly reduced when using these new compounds.

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Additive Manufacturing, Shot Blasting

AM Solutions Delivers Post-Processing Solutions for Prototypes & Parts

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Knaus Tabbert AG is a leading manufacturer of recreational vehicles. The company’s innovative designs and powerful drive systems for motor homes, caravans, and panel trucks allow for safe, comfortable, and sustainable travel.

At its German headquarters in Jandelsbrunn, Bavaria, Knaus Tabbert utilizes its comprehensive experience and know-how to continuously improve the materials and designs of its vehicles as well as new manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing.

Seeking faster and less expensive post processing for its 3D printed prototypes, Knaus Tabbert turned to AM Solutions, a brand of The Rosler Group, to find a better way.

Challenging Post-Processing

From prototyping to production, Knaus Tabbert needed de-powdering and cleaning operations for additively manufactured work pieces.

“On the one hand, we are using 3D printing technology for creating prototypes. On the other hand, we are also utilizing additive manufacturing for producing standard components in volume such as the bracket for an alarm system or the hinge mechanism for the swing-out shower stall,” said Mario Meszaros, Knaus Tabbert Development Engineer.

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Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 1 – Selecting the Best Work Piece/Media Separation Method

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One of the first considerations in finishing process development is the ability to effectively separate mass finishing media from the work pieces. If separation cannot be achieved, the process will not be viable. Signs of inadequate separation may include the need for too much manual intervention, lodged media causing downstream process issues, failure to meet finishing standards, or even product recalls.

For processes that do not require work pieces to be firmly mounted to fixtures in the machine, components and media loosely tumble in mass finishing processing bowls and troughs to achieve the desired finishing result. While this interaction is encouraged during processing, swift and precise media separation is crucial before work pieces move onto the next process step.

Rosler has more than 80 years of experience designing mass finishing machines and supplying consumables. Our expertise can help develop the best separation method and settings for your unique combination of finishing, work pieces, and media.

Separation Objectives

If not properly removed from work pieces, media carried out of the machine can cause disastrous results in automated, downstream manufacturing operations such as machining, assembly, painting, etc. The manner in which media and work pieces are separated matters as well.

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Medical

Orthopedic Implants, Part 7 – Processing Technology Evolves with Industry Advancements

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Due to their precision, efficiency, and economy, mass finishing and shot blasting are an indispensable part of the finishing process for a wide variety of orthopedic implants in different manufacturing stages.

These flexible machines can handle general cleaning; deburring; surface smoothing after casting, forging, stamping, machining, and heat treatment; surface preparation for polishing or coating; and the placement of the final finish on all kinds of implants and medical devices.

With an experienced partner such as Rosler, these processes are also capable of adapting to emerging trends with proper testing and processing trials.

Evolving Technology & Outlook

Orthopedic implant manufacturers are at the cutting edge of medical technology. New materials and manufacturing techniques and technologies are constantly evaluated to improve the performance and longevity of the implants and reduce the manufacturing cost. Two examples are the increased use of ceramics as base material or coating and additive manufacturing.   

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Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 2 – Determine Imbalance Weight Settings for Consistent Results

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Specific mass finishing applications are developed through processing trials. Once defined, users should not deviate from the determined machine settings unless necessitated by work piece or process changes.

Rosler partners with clients to provide testing in our global Customer Experience Centers to demonstrate our capabilities on a specific work piece and to calibrate machine settings. Determining the exact machine settings requires considering and testing multiple factors.

Vibratory Systems

The most common drive systems in mass finishing are vibratory. This refers to actual finishing machines such as rotary, tub, and linear continuous flow vibrators as well as auxiliary equipment like screening systems, vibratory conveyors, buffers, etc.

In all of these cases, the speed of the vibratory motor or the electric motor driving the imbalance unit(s) may have to be adjusted as well as the setting of the imbalance weights.

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Mass Finishing, Shot Blasting

Customer Experience Centers Offer Free Surface Finishing Insight & Solutions

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During more than 80 years in business, the Rosler team has gained extensive experience in shot blasting and mass finishing for a variety of industries.

In addition to the machinery and consumables we provide, our Customer Experience Centers enable us to demonstrate Rosler’s expertise by processing your samples with settings and requirements tailored to your needs.

Sending your work pieces to one of our 11 test centers around the world is an important step in achieving the perfect surface finishing process.

Learn what to expect from Rosler’s Customer Experience Centers and get the most out of your partnership with Rosler from Sales Representative and Interim Product Manager of Turbine Blast Equipment Zack Murray and Mass Finishing Product Manager Michael Salyers.

What to Expect as a Customer

To achieve optimal processing results, we carry out sample processing step-by-step.

With an emphasis on finding a better way, our process includes:

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Additive Manufacturing

Are Your Additive Polymer Parts Breaking During Post Processing?

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Growing utilization of additive manufacturing for volume production of plastic components has increased the demand for cost-efficiency and high-quality surface finishes. That’s why AM Solutions, a brand of the Rosler Group, has further expanded its product portfolio with the development of a new media type for post processing of plastic components.

Designed specifically for work pieces printed with MJF and SLS powder-bed-based technology, AM Solutions’ new media permits the safe, cost-efficient finishing of 3D printed components with different shapes and sizes in one single process step and with absolutely repeatable results. This eliminates the time-consuming and costly media changes for different processing stages.

In combination with an understanding of respective printing processes, the new media mix generates a perfect, finely structured, and highly homogeneous surface finish.

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Shot Blasting

Dutch Equipment Manufacturer Increases Flexibility with Automatic Shot Blasting

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Blast cleaning is uniquely capable and efficient at delivering the pre-coating surface preparation required for components that must be able to withstand severe ambient conditions including heavy equipment for construction and mining, agricultural machinery, transportation and material handling equipment, and railway equipment and rolling stock.

When Dutch equipment manufacturer Delwi Groenink sought a better solution for prepping its various steel weldments for painting, the company enlarged its manufacturing depth with a new continuous hanger shot blast machine from Rosler.

The Situation

Based in Enschede, Netherlands, the company designs and produces numerous products including placement systems for container pads. Its customers largely work within the material handling, offshore, and transportation sectors.

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Mass Finishing

Mass Finishing Machine Settings Series, Part 1 – Improve Machine Function with Proactive and Responsive Observation, Calibration

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Even if the finishing media and compound/water are managed perfectly, without a well-functioning machine a mass finishing process is doomed to fail. Focusing on a few essentials will ensure that a mass finishing machine is performing as intended.

From machine settings to preventative maintenance and troubleshooting tips, Rosler has the experience and insight to keep mass finishing machines running efficiently.

The Right Machine Settings

The speed at which a machine is running is critical to the success of a finishing process.

If the machine is running too slow, the finishing results, deburring/edge radiusing, surface grinding, etc., might not be achieved at all or only after excessively long processing times.

If the machine is running too fast, the work pieces may be damaged by scratching, nicking, or bending. Excessive speeds will also cause the media to wear much faster without the benefit of shorter cycle times. Beyond speed, other machine settings must be taken into consideration based on the specific machine type.

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Medical, Shot Blasting

Orthopedic Implants, Part 6 – Shot Blasting Improves Longevity

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Like mass finishing, shot blasting is an exceptionally versatile surface treatment technology. Its applications range from general cleaning after casting and forging to shot peening and, even, cosmetic blasting for placing a fine, matte finish on the work pieces.

For shot blasting orthopedic implants, Rosler recommends mainly air and occasionally wet blasting systems.  In each process, blast media is accelerated by compressed air and thrown at the work pieces through a blast nozzle, creating an extremely precise blast pattern compared to turbine blasting. Another advantage of air blasting is that it can be used with metallic, mineral as well as organic blast media.

Air blasting and wet blasting schematics

These attributes and many more make this surface finishing method particularly useful in the medical industry.

Examples of Shot Blasting

Shot blasting is an impact system in which small metal or mineral pellets are thrown onto the surface of a work piece at speeds of 200-800 feet/second. The impact on the work piece surface produces the desired cleaning, peening, or texturing effect.

For medical applications, mainly air and wet blast systems are used which generally make a surface rougher. The smoothest finishes achieved with shot blasting are about Ra = 16-32 microinches (= 0.4 to 0.8 μm).

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Shot Blasting and Mass Finishing Surface Finishing Experts

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