Springs - ultrasonically cleaned and blasted with Guyson finishing equipment
Industrial finishing equipment manufacturer Guyson International has recently installed a ‘Kerry’ branded Microsolve 350 Co-Solvent cleaning system, along with a Guyson Multiblast® T50 Tumblebasket system, both manufactured at their north of England factory, into one of the largest independent spring manufacturers in the world.
Both Guyson machines have been installed to perform a dual function of providing higher levels of automation, whilst also improving product quality, during the production of compression springs. With the Microsolve 350 solvent cleaner used to remove mineral drawing oil from the formed springs before heat treatment, and then subsequent descaling in the T50 Tumbleblaster to produce an improved surface finish.
Degreasing the springs
Guyson’s ‘Kerry’ Microsolve 350 Co-Solvent cleaning system provides two ultrasonic cleaning stages, both with filtration, followed by vapour rinsing and freeboard drying.
In the first cleaning tank a mixture of HFE (hydrofluoroether) and a hydrocarbon solvating agent removes the mineral oil from the compression springs. Large quantities of dirt and oils can be taken up by the solvating agent, and this makes the process particularly suitable for heavy duty cleaning.
In stage two, pure HFE distillate removes any residues left on the springs carried over from the primary cleaning tank. Both heated cleaning tanks include base mounted ultrasonic transducers powered by a Guysonic generator, coupled with Primewave controller; this combination delivers both a very robust cleaning activity with a flexible power delivery. Cleaning is followed by rinsing in the vapour zone, above the tanks, and then a dwell in the freeboard zone to dry the springs.
All Guyson’s Microsolve’s attain the highest cleaning standards yet keep running costs low. Solvent retention features unique to the Microsolve range include: triple coil reflux cooling, vapour break, 150% freeboard and optional auto top-up and solvent monitoring. Full automation of the cleaning process is achieved through usage of an Autotrans Mk5 automated basket handling system, coupled with roller load and unload conveyors. Autotrans usage also enables reduced running costs by controlling speed of basket entry and withdrawal from the vapour zone, thus reducing solvent drag-out and losses to atmosphere caused by disturbance of the vapour blanket, so assuring consistent, repeatable quality, reducing reject rates and increasing throughput. These combined features also mean that Microsolve systems are able to operate with low solvent usage and customers enjoy low, predictable running costs.
A range of safety enclosures, designed to suit machine positioning and operational flow through of products is provided with all Microsolve machines, ensuring that systems are safe to operate and fully comply with the highest environmental and safety legislation.
Finishing the springs
After processing the springs in the Microsolve 350 the springs are now clean of mineral drawing oil, so when they go through the subsequent heat treatment process there is less underlying scale on them than was previously the case. Now batch descaling in the Guyson T50 tumbleblaster is undertaken in less time than previously and less scale results in a better finish, reduced production time and less blast media usage.
The installed Guyson Multiblast T50 tumbleblast machine, has been modified from the standard version to increase the height of the cabinet, allowing a delivery shute mechanism to be installed underneath. Now when the machine has finished its batch descaling a whole batch of springs can be despatched directly out of the internal basket into a container underneath the machine via a shute that is clipped in place for the purpose, thus reducing manual handling.
The T50 Tumbleblaster has a maxium load capacity of 50 kg’s and each batch is blasted by a cluster of three Guyson model 900 blast guns fitted to fully adjustable arms, allowing optimum blast coverage and a speedy batch time. The internal basket has 2.5 mm perforations to allow blast media through and a series of internal paddles mounted on the back plate and sides to enhance the component tumbling action. Airwash is also provided so the springs can be removed from the basket totally free of blast media.
Once the blast cycle has finished the internal basket automatically finishes its cycle with the basket slide hatch pointing directly downwards in-line with the cabinets drop down floor flap. Then a steel chute is clipped in place, the basket slide opened and the springs descend into the catchment bucket. To recommence blasting the shute unclipped and the basket slide slid back in place; then the basket refilled with another batch and the machine is ready to go again.
Completing the blast system is a CY600/12 cyclone separator and Model C800 dust collector. The cyclone separator maintains a consistent grit size within the media stream to achieve consistent roughness level and is coupled to the cabinet via hard wearing rigid Polyurethane pipework. The cyclone separator creates a vortex of air that carries the heavier re-usable particles to the outside of the rotating air stream which collect in a storage hopper ready to be re-used, whilst the lighter remaining dust, fines and undersize media are separated and collected in the Guyson C800 twin cartridge dust collector.
Other spring manufacturers are encouraged to contact Guyson for free trials on their products and to see how they too could benefit from using Guyson finishing technology.
About Guyson
Guyson International Limited is a privately owned family company with a world-wide reputation for excellence in the design and manufacture of blast finishing, spray wash and ultrasonic cleaning equipment. Formed 75 years ago, the company is registered to BS EN ISO 9001: 2008 and BS OHSAS 18001:2007, and its head office is located at Skipton, North Yorkshire, in the north of England. Guyson has four international subsidiary companies: Guyson Corporation of the USA, located in Saratoga Springs, New York State; Guyson SA, situated in Paris, France; Guyson Sdn Bhd in Penang, Malaysia; and Guyson CN, in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China.