Mass Finishing Work Piece Handling Series, Part 2 â Preventing Drop Height Damage
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Ensuring drop heights are not too high when raw work pieces are loaded into and exiting a mass finishing machine is an important consideration.
Rosler has extensive experience developing mass finishing machines as well as material handling accessories to create a productive and efficient surface finishing system and prevent drop height damage. When evaluating drop heights and machine configuration needs, it is recommended that you consult an experienced equipment provider to help review key machine aspects and suggest solutions tailored to your unique needs.
Issues to Avoid
Falling from a loading container into a machine as well as moving from the machine into a post-process collection can cause damage to work pieces in the form of nicking and scratching caused by contact among work pieces as well as with the machine itself. More delicate and/or sharp work pieces, therefore, require extra consideration and evaluation of drop heights than sturdy and rounded components.
For example, components with critical sealing areas, parts requiring a tight fit, and parts that need a high gloss polish must be handled with extra care. If big height distances must be overcome, chutes should be employed allowing the work pieces to gently slide down instead of just being dumped on top of each other, essentially âde-sharpeningâ the effect of contact.
Similar caution must be employed at the various transfer points within a mass finishing system, for example, the transfer of the finished work pieces from the finishing unit to the separation station or from the finishing machine to a dryer, collection table, etc. The prevention of high drop heights should be one of the key questions for a supplier when considering the purchase of a new mass finishing system or modifying an existing system.
Rosler offers a variety of transfer sections and attributes, including (from left) separation systems for coin blanks, separation screens to dryer to prevent part-on-part damage with gentle drop heights, and separation system with linear drive for extra gentle transport of parts.
Media Considerations
In addition to issues with work pieces, excessive drop heights can also cause issues with media. For example, unusual splintering or chipping of ceramic media may occur at transfer points if drop heights are too high or media is returned to the machine too quickly when external media separation is utilized, such as with inline trough machines.
Media return conveyor of an inline trough machine.
Media may also be prone to fracturing if heavy parts are dropped into the machine too aggressively. These media chips and fragments can lodge in the work pieces and cause problems in downstream processes or when the product is in use.
Working with your equipment supplier is key to ensure that all transfer points in a finishing system allow a gentle media transfer as well as work piece transfer.
The Rosler Way
Our team of experts can help design, service, and calibrate a mass finishing system for your unique needs. Contact us to discuss your mass finishing and work piece handling needs.
The complete Mass Finishing Work Piece Series includes:
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