Due to growing demand for its products the renowned steel fabricator BHS shot blasting technology Baake-Heidemann GdR had to increase its capacity. The investment in a new shot blasting system is intended to improve the overall quality of steel plates and beams, increase the throughput capacity and lower the costs. Impressed by the customer focus and the high technical expertise of the Rösler engineers, the company from the state of Hesse, Germany, decided to purchase a fully automatic roller conveyor blast machine RRB 27/6-HD-So from Rösler.
Thanks to 30 years of experience in the field of steel fabrication the Heidemann steel fabrication & assembly and BHS shot blasting technology GdR are true experts in their respective disciplines. Throughout Germany the company, located in Volkmarsen, handles all kinds of industrial, commercial and agricultural projects. These include all kinds of industrial & commercial buildings, platforms, bridge construction, railings and spectator stands. Based on the high customer expectations, each individual steel fabrication project must meet stringent demands regarding quality and cost-efficiency.
Capacity expansion for descaling, de-rusting and cleaning
Because of the growing demand for the company’s steel fabrications the capacity of the existing shot blast machine was no longer sufficient. Peter Heidemann, general manager of the BHS shot blasting branch explains: „Our old shot blast machine had a usable width of only 2.0 meters. As a job shop we expect that with the expansion to 2.5 meters we will achieve a considerable increase of our throughput. The overall performance, quality and long service life of the shot blast machine were important factors in our decision-making process.” An additional challenge were the space constraints at the machine location. With its many years of experience and knowhow Rösler also resolved this problem to the full satisfaction of the customer.
The roller conveyor blast machine RRB 27/6-HD-So - Compact, versatile and tailormade to the customer’s needs
„The Rösler roller conveyor blast machine RRB 27/6-HD-SO was specially adapted to our specific requirements”, reports Peter Heidemann. Actually, one particular technical change was a pre-condition for the implementation of this project: The shot blast system had to be designed with a low height profile of only 4,800 mm to comply with the space constraints at the location where the machine had to be installed.
To ensure that the required blast cleaning standard of SA 2,5 will be consistently achieved, the Rösler shot blast machine is equipped six Gamma 400 G turbines with curved throwing blades and an installed power of 22 kW per turbine. The Gamma turbines were specially designed by Rösler for their wear resistance, ease of maintenance and high efficiency. They are made from forged tool steel, which increases the overall uptime by a factor of three. And, compared to conventional turbines, they produce an up to 20% higher blast performance with, at the same time, lower energy consumption.
The curved throwing blades create an optimum media flow, and their special Y-design allows using both sides of the blades. If one side is worn, a changeover to the other side can be implemented very quickly. This reduces not only the costs for turbine spare parts but also helps minimize machine downtimes. The overall machine uptime is further increased by the fact that the blast chamber is made from manganese steel and lined with exchangeable wear plates. The space requirements were minimized by an innovative blast chamber design: The work piece transport through the blast chamber requires only two rollers made from case-hardened tool steel. Of course, this also helps to further reduce the costs due to wear.
A machine concept that fully meets the customer requirements
Peter Heidemann comments: „I am confident that with this shot blast machine, specially designed for our requirements, we will considerably improve our shot blasting quality. In the end this will enhance the overall quality of our products and will result in an increase of our productivity.” Mr. Heidemann concludes: „No doubt Rösler will be the first company we will turn to for our future shot blasting needs. In our cooperation we value especially the company’s technical expertise and the observance of our specific requirements.“