EngNet » Product & Service News » Wheelabrator® Automated Air Blast Room

Wheelabrator® Automated Air Blast Room

Product News Friday, August 21, 2009: Wheelabrator

In late-August 2008, Pacific Cast Technologies (PCT), an investment casting foundry located in Albany, Ore., purchased an Air Blast room for their facility. PCT (acquired by Ladish in 2000) offers precision shell cast technology, in particular, for titanium investment castings. The company has the technology, equipment and expertise to cast titanium parts in some of the largest sizes and most complex shapes currently manufactured for the Aerospace industry.

As an existing Wheelabrator Group customer (already operating a Tumblast® machine) PCT added a new Wheelabrator® Air Blast room to remove the residual shell coating from their investment castings after shake out.

The investment casting process is used primarily for titanium and steel alloy components for aerospace (jet) engine parts. The process uses injection-molding waxes and pre-formed ceramic cores in a wax pattern to create the casting. The wax patterns are then dipped multiple times into a liquid slurry and a light sand mixture to achieve a shell thick enough to withstand the mechanical shock of receiving molten metal.

Once the shell is formed, the wax is removed in a furnace, the shells are usually pre- heated and molten metal is poured into the hollow shell. After cooling sufficiently, the majority of the ceramic shell is removed at a “shake out” or “knock out” stage. The final shell removal takes place in the new Wheelabrator Air Blast room.

Regional manager Kevin Poling, along with our local distributor, worked closely with PCT in designing a full-recovery grated floor Air Blast room with an Abrasive on Demand (AOD™) reclaim system. As a result, there is no abrasive clean-up requirement for the operator! To ensure part visibility for manual air blasting, 6 tube (versus 4 tube standard) light fixtures were installed to provide extra lighting. The AOD full floor Air Blast room design offers reduced maintenance on equipment and reduced electrical consumption.

Once the air blasting process is complete, the remaining scrap metal is then placed into the company’s Tumblast for cleaning and remelting, reaffirming PCT’s dedication to practicing environmentally-responsible recycling.

“We love the equipment as it saves time and material as advertised!” said Mr. Jay Wasechek, Facilities and Maintenance Manager.

Wheelabrator Group is a global provider of surface preparation and finishing solutions. Committed to offering the broadest array of technologies, products, services and technical know-how, Wheelabrator Group works closely with customers to deliver the best solutions for their specific requirements. The company's strategically located and electronically linked offices allow Wheelabrator Group to provide unrivalled customer service and support worldwide.