Cost reductions
The most requested improvement opportunity in surface preparation is to reduce operating costs for an existing product line. This is normally achieved by reducing abrasive and energy consumption while extending the life of traditional wear parts, and implementing automation, and loading and unloading technologies. The Centre devotes significant research to meet these challenges and others; and it is this research effort that has contributed to innovations such as the TITAN wheel.
Unique capabilities
The Centre's engineering capabilities are second to none. Its preservation lines are able to blast 5 meter wide steel plates at a speed of only 6 meter per minute. Due to the competence of the engineers and the efficient technologies available the facility has achieved great success in a different market than its traditional customer base – the market for cleaning concrete and stone blocks.
On-site Test Centre and laboratory
The Technology Centre recently invested €250k in brand new test lab facilities, allowing Wheelabrator experts to trial and examine all types of blast processes and fine-tune them to exact customer specifications. The new equipment includes an x-ray diffractometer for on-site testing, imaging and analysis of compressive stresses in parts after shot peening - a unique capability that is of huge value to customers. Especially in the automotive industries, where precision shot peening processes are used to achieve higher strengths, longer part life and improved performance of ever lighter components. With Wheelabrator, you work with a partner who, thanks to the on-site test lab, can now precision-adjust shot peening and other blast processes with extremely short turnaround times.
On-site demonstration centre
A comprehensive display of blast technology applications are exhibited at the facility in Germany including cleaning, corrosion removal, descaling, coating removal, deburring, etching, polishing, peen forming, shot forming, and concrete finishing.
