Spinner hanger blast machine eliminates the capacity bottleneck in the paint preparation

By OEM Update Editorial December 21, 2023 7:22 pm

Because of the rapidly increasing demand for powder-coated and wet-painted components, GAM Coating had to increase its shot blasting capacity. With a spinner hanger blast machine from Rösler, the company purchased a highly flexible ‘workhorse’ that excels through excellent shot blasting qualities and low energy consumption.

A crucial factor for achieving high-quality coatings is impeccable surface preparation. As the demand for wet painting continues to surge, GAM Coating found the need to expand its capacity despite already having ample space for powder coating assignments. Following a thorough assessment of the advantages and drawbacks of acquiring an extra blast room and investing in a shot blast machine, customers decided to purchase a new one.

Spinner hanger blast machine: A highly productive and flexible workhorse
GAM Coating chose a spinner hanger blast machine from Rösler. These machines are ideal for de-scaling, de-rusting, paint stripping, surface texturing, and de-sanding large or heavy components, including complex steel fabrications. A special overhead rail system transports the components, hanging on special trusses, into the shot blast machine. Blasting occurs when the workpieces continuously move in the blast chamber or indexing. The overhead rail system is designed as an open “Y”. This allows the load/unload of workpieces at two stations to keep unproductive times at a minimum. A special feature of the Rösler shot blast machine is its excellent wear protection. The blast chamber consists of 8 mm thick welded manganese steel. In addition, the blast area is specially protected by easily exchangeable 10 mm wear plates, also made from manganese steel.

Marc Princen says, “Programming of the Rösler machine is very simple, as we only have to set the blast time and turbine RPM”. Besides its high productivity, the shot blast machine is also characterised by its high energy efficiency. In this respect, the Gamma G turbines with “Y” shaped throwing blades play a key role. Compared to conventional turbines, the special curved blade design in the Gamma G turbines produces a 20 % higher blast performance with lower energy.

Shot blasting as an eco-friendly paint preparation
Marc Princen comments, “Since it is much more eco-friendly than chemical pre-treatment, we are employing shot blasting for paint preparation.” As a blast medium, the company uses corundum because it does not react with the substrate of the workpieces. Large components are blasted manually in a blast room. “This allows optimal pre-treatment of hot-dipped steel, stainless steel, and other non-ferrous metals. The blast media is added to the compressed air in precise quantities. Broken-down media and other contaminants are continuously discharged through a dust collector. Our operators are equipped with approved pressure breathing protection devices fed by cleaned air and dressed in special protective clothing, ” describes Marc Princen.

Flexibility and reliability
Gerrit established GAM Coating in 1972 as an automotive paint and body shop. Throughout the last five decades, GAM has transformed into a specialised entity adept in powder coating, wet painting, shot blasting, glass bead blasting, and grinding. As the years progressed, the company shifted its focus from automotive paint to a diverse range of industrial services. Its clientele spans various sectors, including automotive, machinery manufacturing, and agricultural equipment. Moreover, GAM predominantly powder coats and applies wet paint to components primarily utilised in internal areas. Marc Princen, one of the three owners, elaborates on this evolution, “Between large orders, we can handle small jobs or quickly help out customers who received an unexpected purchase order. Many coating job shops have a very rigid, inflexible work organisation.

For example, on Mondays, the colour black is applied, and on Tuesdays, it is blue. If a customer needs a black component on a Tuesday, he must wait until next Monday. We are a lot more flexible and provide our service to our customers as they need it.”

This flexibility, combined with high coating quality and on-time deliveries, is the reason for the continuously increasing demand from different industrial sectors. Marc Princen concludes, “Energy considerations play an important role in today’s industrial environment. On the one hand, lower energy consumption is good for the environment. On the other hand, the energy price is an important cost factor”.