Airblast
Internal Cleaning
In-line
Precise and thorough cleaning of internal surfaces, bores and apertures
High cleaning capacity and very high process safety
Short blasting times
Entirely automatic and flexible production flow
Combustion engines are getting lighter and lighter, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The result are ever more complex engine block and cylinder head designs with intricate internal surfaces. Wheelabrator has developed IDS: a sophisticated, modular machine that blasts inside the most intricate workpieces.
The IDS machines using modern compressed air blasting technology to provide our customers with an ideal system designed for their demanding castings, to achieve perfect cleaning quality. In order to custom-design a solution for our customers application, Wheelabrator can create a flow simulation to design the process, we can then validate the design at the Wheelabrator test centre in Zurich, using production-related blasting tests.
With the IDS inside airblast machine, workpieces are blasted in a cycle process. The workpieces (e.g. cylinder heads and engine blocks) are transported to the machine with roller conveyors. Before blasting, they are centered on the roller conveyor.
The machine works in tandem with a robot which is picking parts off a roller conveyor and transporting them into the control station (fakir test). There the parts are checked whether the channels to be blasted are open. If one of the openings is not free, the robot waits for an operator check. The operator is to select whether the parts are to be checked again via the robot's operating device or to be ejected. If the test is faultless, the parts are placed in the blast chamber.
Inside the blast chamber, the robot arm moves the workpiece towards the rows of airblast nozzles that then blast the internal surfaces of bores and channels – either from the outside or by dipping into the workpiece. The robot gripper is sealed with a diaphragm seal.
After the blast process, the robot arm gently sways the part to let abrasive run off and then puts it to an emptying station before placing it back onto a roller conveyor. The parts are transported via roller conveyor to the inspection area and afterwards to machining.
The modular cell design allows the easy extension of the machine with a row of robot arms working to a blast chamber each. This ensures production increases can be accommodated, while the lance-mounted exchangeable blast nozzles can be adapted and upgraded to keep pace with changing process needs. Additionally, the compact design allows the installation on a minimum space requirement.
As any equipment designed for automotive, the IDS is optimised for maximum uptime, with manganese liners inside the blast chamber reducing wear and clever abrasive logistics ensuring a constantly perfect abrasive mix.
Wheelblast
Cleaning
These systems meet the highest production demands and are renowned for their excellent blast cleaning performance for components of different shapes and sizes. These systems deliver outstanding performance due to their high process capacity and excellent cleaning efficiency.
