Efficient Blasting System for Large Crane Components

ADVANCED BLASTING SYSTEM FOR LARGE CRANE COMPONENTS

One of the leading manufacturers in lifting technology, headquartered in Dreieich, was looking for a blasting solution for production at its Düsseldorf location. The requirements included equipping the free-blasting room with lifting platforms, while also accommodating large crane components, with the largest parts measuring 37.5×7×5.5 meters.

SOLUTION

SLF Oberflächentechnik was commissioned to design the blasting room. The 45×12×9 meter room is one of the largest free-blasting rooms SLF installed last year. For smaller parts, the room can be divided by an electrically operated roll-up door. It is equipped with two horizontal scissor lift platforms, and additional reinforcement was needed to support their load. The room features 40-meter-long blast hoses mounted on the side walls, allowing workers to blast the parts from all angles while on the lifts. Four pressure blasting fans maintain a constant pressure of 7 bar. The steel shot used as the blasting medium removes surface contaminants, including rust.

After blasting, the medium and contaminants fall to the floor, which is partially equipped with a grid floor capable of supporting a load of up to 5000 daN. The heaviest parts are transported by a powered cart along a concrete track for easy positioning. Blasting medium recovery improves efficiency: Beneath the grid floor, a conveyor system moves the medium to a horizontal screw conveyor. The recovered medium is transported to a storage hopper for further processing in a rotary sieving system, where coarse particles like screws and nuts are removed. The cleaned medium then passes through a cascade air classifier, removing dust particles.

To improve air quality in the blasting room, suction baffles are installed at the front wall, which draw in contaminated air. LED floodlights are positioned for optimal lighting and feature energy-efficient, high-power 150W lamps.

RECYCLING OF ABRASIVE MATERIAL INCREASES COST-EFFICIENCY

Beneath the grid floor, a conveyor system moves the medium to a horizontal screw conveyor. The recovered medium is transported to a storage hopper for further processing in a rotary sieving system, where coarse particles like screws and nuts are removed. The cleaned medium then passes through a cascade air classifier, removing dust particles. To improve air quality in the blasting room, suction baffles are installed at the front wall, which draw in contaminated air. LED floodlights are positioned for optimal lighting and feature energy-efficient, high-power 150W lamps.

Modern filtration and blasting technology that, according to the provider, guarantees a high-quality blasting result even when processing the largest workpieces.

FOCUS ON ACCIDENT PREVENTION

Safety, especially active accident prevention, is a top priority for the Dreieich-based machinery company. The so-called dead man switch on the blast hoses is equipped with a radio transmitter, ensuring signal exchange and enabling quick response times. The two horizontal scissor lift platforms, which always position the workers safely by the workpiece, are guided along the sidewalls of the free-blast room on tracks. They are equipped with electric drive systems for movement, lifting, and scissor operations. The scissor construction, designed as a double scissor, allows the platform to extend nearly to the center of the booth. To support continuous workflow, the platforms remain movable even during the blasting process. The operator controls the platform via the control panel, and in emergency situations, a secondary control is available from the floor using the floor control system.

The 45-meter-long blasting room can be divided by an electric roll-up door if necessary, to enable independent processing operations.

ALL-WHEEL DRIVE IN THE FREE-BLASTING ROOM

The design of the lifting work platforms was also influenced by the dividable nature of the free-blasting room and the resulting 80 mm gap in the tracks. Using a wheel duplication system, the lifting work platforms practically operate in all-wheel drive. This makes it easy to cross the track gap. A dual drive provides the necessary power. Another special feature is the compressed air-powered extraction system located directly next to the workers. Mounted on the lifting platforms themselves, the devices are mobile and ready for use at any time as oversized vacuum cleaners. The blasting media is thoroughly and almost dust-free suctioned from the workpieces and fed directly through the grating floor to the media recycling system. With the free-blasting room, which is adjacent to a paint system delivered by SLF years ago, the Düsseldorf branch of the crane specialist is well-equipped to consistently meet the high-quality standards for workpiece surface preparation and coating.

The two side-guided scissor lift platforms allow workers to ergonomically process the large workpieces all around and position themselves safely at any time.

PARTNERING WITH SMS

Specialist Machinery Sales (SMS) is a complete system and solution provider. SMS proudly offers the complete material handling to meet our client's material flow pain points and challenges; thus, innovating the traditional material flow of a fabricator's workshop- fabrication/assembly and welding out prior to shot blasting and painting. We are proud to be the only partner in Australia and New Zealand who can provide a complete system and integrate these machines from steel processing for all steel profiles and plate. We partner with only the best and superior machine tool builders that have been market leaders of innovation and automation to the steel industry. We strongly believe that the future for our clients and the steel industry is to link the various machines and technologies, software, material handling, and automation together. This is now possible with a mix of new and pre-loved machines that can be integrated into the material handling ecosystem and footprint available when partnering with SMS.