What Is Reclaim And Why Is It Useful?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

What is a reclaimer?

Simply stated a media reclaimer is a unit or system designed to automatically separate dust and debris from good, reusable blast media.

Why is reclaim useful?

A reclaim system will greatly improve productivity. A properly adjusted reclaimer,  continuously removes dust (& broken particles & fines) from good media then automatically returns good media to a hopper for re-use.  When dust is emptied from dust collector an equivalent amount of new media is added to the blast system and a refreshed, good media operating mix is created.

(Blast cabinet with reclaim system)

By returning only good media:

1)  The finish produced by the blast process remains consistent and repeatable from piece to piece because it is removing the broken, fine particals.

2)  Speed of the blast process is maintained at optimum rate

(Dust, broken particles & fines don’t have the cleaning or impact value of good media – so the operation slows down as the content of fines increases.

3)  Cost of the media usage is reduced.

(Keeping media clean results in maximum, effective media life.)

4A)  Maintenance and operator labor costs are reduced.

(Instead of using labor time to change out all the media – as systems without reclaimers require – regular, small additions of good media prevents large blocks of time dedicated to total media change-outs.) Eliminates total change-out of media

4B)  Properly designed media reclaimers include a trash screen that catches over-sized debris (such as paint chips, pieces of paper, chunks of rust or who knows what) before that material can block a metering valve or clog a nozzle.   This is a great labor saving and time saving feature.

Through proper adjustments the reclaim system will provide a better part finish and make media handling more efficient.

Judy Sheasly
Checker Industries

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What Is Ball Burnishing?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

A bright, highly reflective surface can be achieved in a vibratory process commonly referred to as ball burnishing.   This specialized process combines the weight and brightness of steel media with compounds designed to produce a specific color and luster in the work piece(s).   It’s major function is to make parts look bright or “burnished”.

In ball burnishing heavy, dense steel media impacts the work piece(s) peening over the peaks

of the surface profile creating a larger area in one plane to reflect light.  This is

perceived visually as shine.   There is no abrasive in the steel media so rough edges, surfaces and burrs are simply rolled or pounded over.  An added benefit to ball burnishing is that the weight of the media and process actually work hardens the surface thereby strengthening the part.

Achieving a high degree of reflectivity, brightness, depth and clarity of finish is sometimes referred to as producing a “mirror” finish.  The quality of an image reflected in the surface of a ball burnished part doesn’t match the sharpness and color of an image reflected by an actual mirror but it does produce a highly reflective part.

So while vibratory finishing doesn’t produce a surface that reflects a distortion free image it can produce bright, shiny, attractive parts with a surface that feels very smooth to the touch.

Judy Sheasley
Checker Industries

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Alternatives To Using Black Beauty

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

A job shop that also has blasting capabilities had been using Black Beauty in one of their blast rooms. Black Beauty is a waste by-product from burning coal, commonly referred to as “coal slag”. The Black Beauty was breaking up creating dust and reducing visibility. In addition it prevented them from reclaiming the media for re-use.  As a result, they felt that they were purchasing excessive quantities of the Black Beauty to maintain production requirements.

We gave them information on “GARNET” which is a cost effective replacement for Black Beauty and other products like Starblast. The customer purchased a quantity of the Garnet for test and evaluation. They were very pleased to discover that visibility was greatly improved. The increase in visibility resulted in improving their blast times, and thus productivity. Also, the less fracturing enabled them to recover the Garnet for re-use.

The cost of the Garnet is higher than these other abrasives, but they are experiencing a significant cost savings because they can buy much less Garnet and get more out of it through re-use.  Another major cost savings resulted from increased productivity by eliminating the dust and visibility issues.

Like many things, you basically get what you pay for. This shop has recognized they can’t afford not to move away from black beauty and have long term plans to make Garnet the only media they will use for all of their blasting needs in their blast cabinets and blast rooms.   

Bob Stansbury
Sales

Posted in Black Beauty, Garnet, Starblast, blast cabinets, blast rooms | Leave a comment

The Benefits Of Sample Processing

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

A metals fabricator recently purchased a vibratory bowl from Precision Finishing so that they can tumble parts in-house. This was a new process for them, and they realized that they lacked the expertise to run this efficiently.
     

Precision Finishing Lab For Sample Processing

The fabricator sent us a representative quantity of a part to tumble in Precision Finishing’s lab so that we could develop a process for them to use with their machine. A process was developed for the part that included:

  • The selection and application of the shape, size and composition of media
  • The most effective CHEMTROL product to use

We assisted the customer in implementing the accepted process in their machine. They were very pleased with the results and have decided to send additional parts to us for process development.  Their goal is when they work down existing inventory they want to tumble finish all of their parts and have Precision Finishing assist them in developing the most cost effective process for these parts. The purchase of an additional bowl has now become a probability.

The main benefit of sample processing is that Precision Finishing Inc. will, at no charge, develop a tumbling process for a customer, specific to the part they sent to us. Then, the customer can either have us run production for them—or they can implement the process in their machine.       

Bob Stansbury
Sales

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When Should You Consider Recycling Vibratory Waste Water?

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

 If you are paying for your water and you are operating a large or multiple vibratory pieces of equipment, your water bill could be substantial. Recycling your waste water could significantly reduce your cost of operation.   Also, if you are looking to add Green technology to your manufacturing operations, recycling your vibratory waste COULD be an easy way to GO GREEN!   Not only could you save water, proper filtering can enable you to reduce your usage of vibratory chemistry.

However, you must understand that recycling isn’t as easy as it sounds and             isn’t suitable for all vibratory processes.

If your vibratory process entails the use of two or more compounds and you recycle this water it is impossible to control the quality and final finish of your parts. If however you are using a single compound in your process, your recycled water is more easily controlled resulting in a consistent finish.

The vibratory process is inherently dirty and if it isn’t filtered you will redeposit this dirt onto your parts during processing.  If your recycled waste isn’t filtered properly or filtered at all before returning to the vibratory process, you may cause serious issues such as:

  • Oxidation / Rusting
  • Smutty or dirty surfaces
  • Problems for final coatings or finishes
  • Longer time cycles

Proper recycling of vibratory waste water should entail the removal of the ultra fine particles from the waste stream and leave most of the chemistry behind.  Using one compound enables you to control your process by adding the proper amount of chemistry to your filtered water in order to maintain a consistent finish.   Close monitoring is also required of your recycled water because of salt build up in your water.  Uncontrolled levels of salt can also create serious issues you your final finish.

Recycling of you vibratory waste water can be very advantageous and cost effective if done properly.  Precision Finishing will take the time to truly understand your process and has the experience to determine whether recycling is applicable for you.     

Jeff Bell
Precision Finishing Inc.

Posted in Recycling Vibratory Waste Water, Vibratory Waste | Leave a comment

Why Use An Evaporator For Vibratory Waste

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Precision Finishing Inc.

 The use of evaporators can be a very easy and simple solution to meet a zero discharge requirement.  Whether you want to evaporate straight vibratory fluid out of your machine or evaporate a concentrated solution generated from some type of filtering system, evaporation can be a consideration.  

 

Companies generating 50 – 100 gallons per day of fluid can utilize what they call a drum evaporator which evaporates between 200-400 gallons per week or 1.5 – 3.0 gallons per hour or tap water. The more solids in your waste stream the lower the evaporation rate.   Additionally drum evaporators are convenient for removing water from a 10 -20 % solid vibratory waste content.

Jeff Bell
Precision Finishing Inc.

Posted in Evaporators, Vibratory Waste | Leave a comment

Shot Peening

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Precision Finishing Inc.

When metal is machined or formed you actually change the molecular structure of the material. Altering the metal surface actually creates tensile stresses across the surface of the material which increases the chances of fatigue cracking. By applying a residual compressive stress to the surface you remove or reduce the tensile stress created which reduces fatigue cracking and thus increases the fatigue life of the part.

                                            So you say Big Deal! 

The amazing part about shot peening is you can actually increase the fatigue life of a part by  200% – 300%!  That is huge when you are talking about extending the life of a part before it fails, especially when the part operates in a high stress environment.  The major advantage of shot peening is to increase the fatigue life of the part but is also used to  improve the durability of certain coatings.

At Precision Finishing we shot peen utilizing conventional air blast and wheel blast equipment. Shot peeing is a very critical and certified process and is successful only when all of the parameters are considered. Some such considerations are:

  • Part Material, hardness and thickness
  • What areas should be shot peened
  • What areas definitely should not be shot peened
  • Media type and hardness
  • Intensity required
  • Equipment Type
  • Velocity

Because you are drastically changing the surface of the part, shot peening can easily destroy a perfectly good part if it isn’t done correctly.  It is imperative that you work with an organization which has a complete understanding of the process to assist you in incorporating the shot peening process.  Our Precision Finishing contract shop is ISO certified and we shot peen to military specifications to assure that your part is done correctly.  Offering shot peening services has also enabled us to develop the expertise to assist in equipment / process recommendation and training to customers wanting to perform this process in their own facility.   

Jeff Bell
Precision Finishing Inc.

Posted in Shot Peening | Leave a comment

Spray vs. Dunk Tank Washing

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Precision Finishing Inc.

Cleaning parts to meet specifications is a critical step in the production process. There are well established methods – Spray washing and Immersion-Agitation Cleaning (also known as Dunk Tank Washing). The key question in cleaning is “what’s the best method of getting the solution to all surface areas that need must be cleaned?” Answering this question helps determine whether immersion-agitation or spray is most appropriate.

Immersion-agitation is very effective with complex geometries with open access to external and internal surfaces. For example a part with internal thru-ports (as opposed to blind holes) and threaded areas is a prime candidate for dunking.

The advantage of Immersion-Agitation over Spray:
Immersion effectively handles a wide range of chemistries — both aqueous based and volatile or solvent based. Immersion-Agitation utilizes a platform to hold either individual parts or a basket of parts. The platform submerges into the cleaning fluid and begins an up-and-down movement which introduces a mechanical scrubbing action to move debris and contaminants off the parts. The flow of the fluid flushes any loosened debris away from the parts surface.
Today’s immersion cleaning processes can be quite sophisticated, adding basket rotation or ultrasonic action to individual stages.

The advantage of Spray over Immersion:
In spray washing multiple operations (wash, rinse, dry) can be completed in a single, small cabinet saving substantial floor space. A basket holds the parts and rotates while spray nozzles directed from top, bottom and sides contact all exposed areas of the parts. In cabinets there are two available cleaning styles — flood washing which uses a high volume of fluid at a low pressure and impact washing which uses low volumes of fluid at high pressure. Spray washing is most effective on single layers of parts.

Spray Cabinet Washer

Cleaning is so advanced now. Choice of equipment, chemistry selection, parts configuration, material handling, available floor space and desired cleaning results are all factors to consider. The process can seem overwhelming. Eliciting help from a knowledgeable distributor and their partner manufacturers is an excellent course of action. Both are highly motivated to define the process goals and design & develop the proper system to make the cleaning process user friendly and deliver reliable, repeatable results.

Judy Sheasley
Checker Industries

Posted in Dunk Tank Washing, Immersion washing, Spray Washer | Leave a comment

Vibratory Compounds

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Precision Finishing Inc.

Our line of Chemtrol vibratory compounds has grown with the finishing industry since 1955 and we continue to specialize in the formulation and manufacturing of compounds for use in the vibratory finishing process.

The vibratory finishing process has multiple variables of which compounds are just one. Adding chemistry to the vibratory process keeps the media and parts clean, enabling the media to accomplish its intended purpose. Because the variety of metals in the vibratory process, chemistry is needed to brighten and polish parts and to reduce cycle times

Our Chemtrol Advantage is having a chemist who has been dedicated for 35 years to developing compounds for the vibratory process and being able to formulate, craft and test our compounds under one roof. This dedication has enabled us to properly develop the best, most cost effective formulae to achieve your part’s specifications.

Chemistry is a very integral part of the vibratory finishing process. In order to achieve an acceptable part you must introduce a compound into the process.
These compounds consist of :
• Abrasives
• Adding abrasive reduces cut cycle times and can be used to improve the RMS finish of the part
• Burnishing
• Adding burnishing compounds generate brighter and cleaner parts and can assist in running delicate parts.

Alkaline cleaners
Oil and dirt are a detriment to the finishing process and must be removed. Using an alkaline cleaner assures the cleanliness of the parts and the effectiveness of the media.

Rust Inhibitors
Since the vibratory process is mostly a wet process the use of rust inhibitors is necessary to protect the parts after finishing.

Accelerants
The introduction of accelerants into vibratory compounds has enabled the process to achieve very low RMS finishes within greatly reduced time cycles.

As you can see compounds are widely used in the vibratory process and this is paramount to obtaining acceptable finishes. Our dedication to continually develop these compounds is how we are able to help our customers achieve their finishing requirements.

Jeff Bell
President
Precision Finishing Inc.

Posted in Finishing Compound Formulations, Vibratory Compounds | Leave a comment

Precision Finishing Company Overview

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Precision Finishing Inc.

Since 1955, Precision Finishing has been supplying creative, cost effective solutions for surface finishing and conditioning to the metal working industry. We take the time to listen, ask questions and truly understand what our customers needs are. Our years of experience and attention to process development provide the foundation for recommending the most cost effective means for finishing your part.

Whether you need vibratory deburring, blast cleaning, washing or waste treatment we have the ability and experience to help you.

We are in our second generation of doing what we do best – evaluating and recommending the most cost effective means of finishing your part.

We have expanded our relationships with the industries best known suppliers by acquiring Checker Industries in Pittsburgh, Pa. to assure you of access to the latest technologies available.

The uniqueness of our company is we have three business components all working together offering the best solutions for our customers.

  • Vibratory and blasting cleaning contract shops
  • In-house manufacturing of CHEMTROL vibratory
    and industrial washing  compounds
  • Direct sales of Vibratory and blasting cleaning
    equipment and supplies

We have what it takes to assist you. Our two contract facilities provide the platform for testing and evaluating blasting and tumbling medias used in the finishing process. 

Our onsite chemist gives us the unique ability to create, craft and then test our Chemtrol formulations in our own production contract shops. This versatility provides the ability to address an array of customers requirements.

We have the equipment and supplies for you to do it yourself. We offer all types of automated finishing equipment such as vibratory bowls, centrifugal barrels and disk equipment. In addition we stock a wide variety of finishing medias. 

We are a complete source for Blast Cleaning equipment and supplies. Whether your application requires a standard hand cabinet, blast room, complete automation, or airless blasting, we have the equipment and materials to meet your needs.

As you can see, by providing the facilities as well as the supplies –  either we can do it or you can do it.

With Precision Finishing you now have choice to achieve the most cost effective solution available to meet your particular requirement.  For all of your finishing needs Precision Finishing can guide you to the best, most cost effective solution.

Please send us an email or give us a call to discuss your next project or application

Jeff Bell
President
Precision Finishing Inc.

Posted in Chemically Accelerated Surface Finishing, Finishing Process | Leave a comment