Demonstration Laboratory

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Empire’s testing and product demonstration facility is un-excelled by any other manufacturer of air-blast finishing equipment. The lab houses a comprehensive list of equipment purposely selected for prototyping, validation and process optimization.
Empire Demo Lab

Demonstrator Lab Equipment list:

  • ABB Robotic Air-Blast System – Features roof mounted 6 axis robot and coordinated 7th axis part rotation. The system is capable of manipulating both the part and nozzle.
  • FANUC Robotic Air-Blast Cell Machine – Features pedestal mounted robot and 7th axis part rotation. The system is capable of manipulating both the part and nozzle.
  • Automated Cell System – Features vertical oscillation and part rotation and is setup for pressure or suction blasting.
  • 6060 RS with in-out cart and turntable – Features nine gun rotary technology.
  • IL885 – Features pass through processing with both fixed guns and horizontal oscillation.
  • PF4848 Hand Cabinet – Setup to quickly evaluate both pressure and suction blasting
  • BB4 – Designed to batch process small to medium size parts and is outfitted with the flexibility to blast with either pressure and suction.
  • 3642 ProFormer ™ – A self-contained “drop in place” system that require only two connections, air and electrical, and includes features offered in our high production Pro-Finish® line.

Empire’s Product Support Managers have years of experience in evaluating the many ways to blast and peen almost any part.   The best way to determine the right solution for your unique finishing and production requirements is to send parts to Empire.

To learn more about our test and demonstration laboratory or any Empire air-blast products, please contact your local Empire distributor or Empire at 215-752-8800 or email airblast@empire-airblast.com.

Robotic Blasting: Key Applications & Efficiencies

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To compete in a hyper competitive global finishing market the use of robotics in air-blasting is quickly becoming the preferred method to reduce costs, increase productivity and improve product quality. Our experience has enabled Empire to design robotic blasting systems that meet the needs of today’s most demanding applications.


Key Applications:
Empire has custom engineered and built hundreds of automated grit-blasting and shot peening systems for precision components in the aerospace, automotive, medical and many other industries.

General industrial applications include:
•    Surface preparation for thermal spray and other advanced coatings
•    Shot Peening for SAE aerospace material specifications
•    Non-destructive cleaning of high value parts and controlled stripping and coating removal

The use of robotics in blasting also allows for the transfer of direct labor from fatiguing and potentially hazardous blasting tasks to other more important value added jobs. A single operator can run multiple robotic blast machines resulting in better department productivity. With a robotic blasting system in place, a machine can operate 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.

Efficiency:
Empire’s robotic systems combine high operational performance with powerful accuracy, consistency and unprecedented levels of flexibility. Whether it’s manipulating the nozzle to replicate the human hand blasting a component with perfect precision or manipulating the part against a stationary blast stream.

Systems:
Robotics can be provided as part of a custom designed system or a pre-engineered solution. Empire’s pre-engineered robotic blast cells provide compact yet sophisticated solutions to meet your blast finishing needs.These designs are standard and field proven. Choosing an Empire robotic blast finishing system means less time spent in design and manufacturing resulting in the shortest time to production.

Empire can also provide custom designed solutions and will work as your partner to develop the machine concept that best meets your unique process requirement and take into consideration the uniquely harsh environment created by the blast process.

All systems are equipped with Empire’s highly efficient pressure blast and reclamation system.  Empire’s reclamation systems have an unmatched ability to separate fine, medium and coarse media from dust. Designed with the capability to fine tune to your unique set of blast requirements, Empire’s reclaimer will save on media costs while improving performance, processing speed and quality.
Whether your project is driven by improvements in productivity, costs, compliance, strict specifications or process validation requirements, Empire will partner with you to design and build blast systems that best meet your needs.

Robotic blasting offers:
–    Control & Repeatability
–    High Efficiencies
–    And uses Fewer Resources which Lower your costs

To learn more about robotic blasting we invite you to visit our demo lab, equipped with the most modern equipment in the industry and run by a staff with years of experience in evaluating the many ways to blast and peen almost any part.

Three Key Benefits For Basket Blasters

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Empire’s BB2 and BB4 Basket Blasters automate cleaning, peening and finishing of small work-pieces. With certain types of parts, no other finishing method can compare to these heavy-duty production machines in terms of speed and quality results.
Typical applications are for parts or items that may be rusty, or in need of cleaning, or where you need to achieve a required surface finish for coating. Other applications include:
•    Refinishing
•    Surface preparation for coatings.
•    For batch processing – nuts, bolts, fittings, fasteners
•    Parts have to be able to withstand part on part contact

Ease of use:
Operation is simple: Load parts into the basket, set the precision timer, and the Basket Blaster does the rest. By tumbling parts within abrasive blast streams, these
machines deliver consistent finishes – automatically

Quality:
Both the BB2-3K and the BB4-3K provide complete part coverage, the BB2-3K has two fixed guns to cover a 16″ wide basket and the BB4-3K utilizes gun oscillation to cover a 30″ wide basket. The oscillation utilized in the BB4-3K constantly changes the blast parameters and uses less air. Because both systems are automated, operator error is removed from the process. Also both systems are supplied with variable speed control for the basket rotation allowing you to slow things down or speed them up depending upon your application.

Cycle time improvement:
The Empire Basket Blasters are production systems with two different size capacities; the BB4-3K with three oscillating guns and a 350-pound parts capacity and the smaller BB2-3K unit with two fixed nozzles and a capacity of 300 pounds.

Normal process time ranges from 15 to 20 minutes; however parts can be blasted for longer periods of time if needed. In the BB4-3K there are three oscillating guns that provide increase production rates while reducing power consumption and in the BB2-3K there are two fixed guns

Top Three Things to Consider for Robotic Blasting

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Robotic Blasting is becoming more and more prevalent in the manufacturing process.  Companies are looking to increase efficiencies and lower costs.  With robotic blasting equipment in place, the operation can run in a continuous mode. Operators are able to run multiple machines and become more efficient.

 

Top Considerations for Robotic Blasting:
Control and Repeatability:
As an operator gets tired they lose focus and attention.  Robotics provides repeatability and long run times without straying from the specification.  This ensures consistent high quality while reducing the defects, rejects and rework. The bottom line is meeting the specifications for each part with process control that happens consistently, every time.

Efficiency:
With a robot, you can control where you are blasting all the time.  During a manual operation, the blasting frequently continues off the part while the operator repositions his grasp.  Over-blasting is also a concern with manual systems, as operators often blast longer than necessary or over the same area twice to ensure full coverage.  In both scenarios, the system is unnecessarily consuming compressed air, media, and most importantly, time.  This is inefficient in addition to general fatigue for the operator.
Less Resources and Lower Costs:
Robotic Blasting reduces the need for more people.  This dramatically reduces costs and is a main reason that automation is becoming more prevalent.  Additionally, robotics will reduce the amount of resources used to generate a finished part.  This ranges from energy, compressed air, blasting media, floor space, machine maintenance, and rework.
Robotic blasting is used in a wide array of applications and can accommodate large and complex parts. This enables users to assure the quality control and deliver the process validation so often required by
today’s aerospace, automotive and medical sectors.

Thirty Quick Benefits of Robotic Blasting
Improve Cabinet Component Life
Improve Product Quality
Improve Employee Safety
Improve Manufacturing Flexibility
Improve Operations Reliability
Improve Production Data
Improve Regulatory Compliance
Improve Decision-Making
Improve Product Yields
Improve Product Flow
Improve Return-on-Capital
Improve Employee Morale
Improve Revenue & Profits
Improve Time to Market
Reduce Air Consumption
Reduce Media Consumption
Reduce Media Disposal
Reduce Manufacturing Costs
Reduce Maintenance Costs
Reduce Utility Costs
Reduce Consumables Cost
Reduce Scrap and Waste Cost
Reduce Error and Return Cost
Reduce Product Development Time
Reduce Production Changeover
Reduce Floor Space
Reduce Production Variability
Reduce Schedule Variability
Reduce Production Failure Modes
Reduce Hazardous Exposure

How To Reduce Operating Costs And Improve Finishes With A Blast Recovery System

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In applications where slag media or other economical blast media are utilized, the long-term costs start to mount quickly due to the media breaking down and having to be replenished. The disposal and logistics of constantly dealing with spent media turn into a large cost of operation.
By recovering the blast media and using recyclable media, the operation will move to a far more profitable and efficient process. This is where a Pneumatic Blast Recovery System (PRS) is ideally suited and can be easily incorporated into the existing layout.

Adaptable to any installation:
A Blast Recovery System can be customized to match a customer’s compressed air supply. There is an electrical starter for the motor built into the system so you do not need to buy a starter. This allows you to bring the main power to the unit for quick setup in most any location. The package is available on a skid or can be disassembled to fit the application. If the PRS system is sold with a blast room, the equipment will be mounted along the outside of the in blast room.

Media usage:
Reusable media are faster acting and less dusty, meaning you get the additional advantages of increased productivity and a cleaner working environment. With the PRS, you can move blasting operations into enclosures to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. And, because the PRS recycles good media while removing dust and fines, blasting results are more consistent.
The system reclaims and cleans the media and is internally lined for longer life. Without this lining, the media rubs against the inner wall and will break it down over time.

Benefits for the operator:
The overall environment has less dust due to cleaning of reusable media.  Also, a built-in dust collector eliminates dust so the operators are exposed to less dust. Reloading the media is much easier. The operator scoops the media into the hopper on the floor versus lifting 50 to 100lbs of media into a pot. There are also options that allow a change from filter bags to cartridges or HEPA filters depending on the requirements of the blasting operation. Operator safety equipment is available with OSHA approved gear.
The whole PRS Blast & Recovery System is designed for easy installation for a wide range of applications. The benefits can be realized from start-up businesses with limited space or for improving overall cost control and picking up production efficiencies.

Bring The Work In-House With Pre-Engineered Blast Rooms (PEB)

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A Pre-Engineered Blast Booth (PEB) is designed for the company who is contemplating bringing work in-house. With no below grade requirements a PEB is a modest investment. Some key features of the system include; OSHA compliant enclosures, BVS ™ booth ventilation system, Electrical Controls , Safety Interlocked doors to assure safe blasting, SuperBlast®ASME – approved pressure vessels, Tunable Media Reclaimer and 10-hp blower to recover media at rates exceeding 70 lbs per minute.

The PEB typically sets-up in only a few days with minimal requirements – yet provides high quality finishing.

With the low initial investment this system is a perfect solution for startup companies. Available in five sizes, these booths ship flat and can be self assembled by three people using a fork lift in two days. Because the PEB bolts together and requires no excavating, it can be disassembled and set up at new site in less than a week making it ideal for companies leasing space.

 The Pre-Engineered Blast Room is designed
to maximize efficiencies for the operator

All PEB parts, ranging from the central blast and recovery system, to pre-wire electrical connections and 14 gage wall panels are engineered and manufactured by Empire. This assures balanced performance among components and provides users with a single source of responsibility for overall system performance.

In summary, for many applications requiring strict environmental and safety compliance, Empire’s Pre-Engineered Booths offer an attractive alternative to makeshift enclosures or higher priced blast rooms.

 

Ergo Cabinets

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From an operator standpoint air-blasting is a physically demanding operation. Manual blast equipment is strenuous to use. Typically the operator is standing for long periods of time and the blast process requires repetitive motions to ensure a proper finish.  These factors brought about the design of the Ergo Cabinet.  Why not have the operator sit down versus stand to facilitate task performance, minimize fatigue and repetitive stress injury by fitting equipment to the body size, strength and range of motion of the user.

Sit-down operation for reduced fatigue
and higher quality results

Since the Ergo-Blast cabinets are designed for sit-down blasting, these ergonomic cabinets include a padded armrest, an elevated foot rest for treadle control, top-entry piping for less arm stress, a sound dampener to reduce noise and a front mounted pressure regulator – all aimed at improving operator comfort and performance during long, repetitive blast cycles.

 

What Is The Difference Between Pro Finish and ProFormer Systems?

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The difference between a Pro Finish system and a ProFormer system is that the ProFormer is an all-in-one unit with only two connections required: air & electrical. The ProFormer cabinet is designed for production blasting and enables you to perform multiple tasks. You can clean, peen or prep for a coating by simply varying air pressure and blast media. The cabinets can be specified with suction-blast or pressure-blast systems and have a wide range of standard factory options.

Applications that work well with this cabinet include:

  • Scale removal
  • Surface profiling (etch)
  • Rusty parts
  • Stripping powder coatings
  • Add matte or satin finish
  • Remove glare or imperfections

Rolling turntables, designed to expedite loading and processing, are just one of many standard factory options available with ProFormer™ cabinets.

To help provide customers with the right solution, Empire can perform test blasting to determine if the process requires suction or pressure blasting. This also enables us to get all of the customer’s potential part sizes and the required blast area matched to the proper cabinet.

Rotary Head For Complex Geometries

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In many applications, parts that require cleaning will have complex geometries in the design of the part. This becomes a challenge to achieve a clean part due to many angles and areas that can trap contaminants.


Rotary Blast Head Equipment

An example of a common application with complex geometries is cleaning airfoils. These airfoils are typically 3-4 vanes made into a single fabricated piece.  The pitch of the blades and the proximity to each other makes it difficult to access all of the different faces.

The main blast cleaning technologies that are used in this application include linear oscillators and swing arm oscillators. In a linear oscillator, the part gets hit only one time. With swing arm oscillators the arm travels in an arc and goes left and right, still only getting one pass and hit at one angle.

However, by using a rotary head you get two passes under the guns; one on the leading edge and one on the trailing edge. This doubles the exposure time and the number of angles, plus the rotary head is rotating so you achieve complete 360 degree coverage.


Continuous Processing

Other applications where rotary heads work well include cleaning turbine blades, bucket and vanes. All of these components have complex geometries and require multiple angles for complete cleaning.


Airfoils in the cleaning process

Empire is ready to help determine the best solution for your application. The company has a process in place to move from concept to installation in about 10 to 14 weeks. We are able to process sample parts in the demo lab utilizing different methods and technologies. Customers are able to be on-site to see the exact results.

Once a solution is developed the quote with pricing is developed. Upon approval a drawing is submitted to fit the plant space and specifications. After any changes, when machine is built and ready, parts and media are sent in for testing in the new machine for customer approval. Then the new unit is shipped and installed, with technical assistance for startup and operator training.