Modified Systems

Designed to clean wheel molds, this pressure blast cabinet incorporates a tilted 48-inch powered turntable and a 12-inch filler at the base of the enclosure to provide the operator with an optimum angle of attack relative to the workpiece. Other features include special fixturing to handle molds with different hub sizes and a pneumatically powered vertical door that saves floor space.

This rugged 6060 pressure system has a 2,500- pound load capacity and offers multiple labor-saving features, such as powered work-cart movement and foot-treadle control of the system's variable speed rotating turntable. In addition, low profile design, expanded oval glove inlets and a raised work station all contribute to easier part access.

As shown by the interior view above, this 4848 pressure cabinet is equipped with some unique time-saving features-all of which are manual. The operator rolls the part into the enclosure, rotates it forward or backward while blasting and then finishes the end of the part through a side work station. The whole process is manual, but a lot faster and easier than wrestling with an awkward workpiece.

This 4848 cabinet was modified specifically for blasting tall, flat parts. It's equipped with tight-locking turntable fixtures, which can be adjusted to hold parts of different widths. With a scissor platform, the operator is able to access both work stations. As a result, finishing an entire side of the part involves only one loading operation.

Modified cabinets with openings on both sides provide a space-saving alternative to larger cabinets. Designed for finishing pipe, the unit shown above has dual-baffle plates in the entrance and exit vestibules to contain dust and media. A powered system can be added to feed and roll parts automatically.

The 6060 cabinet upgrade shown above has a 2,000-pound load capacity. The operator platform and work station have both been raised 18 inches for improved access to workpieces.

This 6060 cabinet was modified with ease of operation in mind. The glove inlets have been expanded to ovals for greater freedom of hand movement within the enclosure and a filler piece has been inserted to position the work station above parts being blasted. An incremental locking assembly has been added to the system's turntable to hold parts in fixed positions during the blasting process.

This pass-through cabinet simplifies the handling and finishing of metal or glass plates. Special features include a gasketed entrance/exit slot between the cabinet's double doors in addition to interior part
guides that facilitate material handling.

This modified 7272 pressure cabinet might qualify as a finishing center. The cavernous enclosure is equipped with two work stations. The one on the front has been raised 24 inches with the insertion of filler panels, permitting the operator to blast down on parts. The station on the side of the cabinet is used to finish pipe fed through baffled entrance and exit vestibules on the front and rear of the cabinet. Other types of parts are loaded via a turntable on tracks. The system includes a piston-lift door to assure tight-sealing of the cabinet's enormous loading entrance. For economy, both work stations share the same blast nozzle and operating system.

Designed to handle the heavy hubs supporting helicopter blades, this pressure cabinet features a fully baffled crane slot through which parts can be lowered and processed without being released from the crane. Two side doors facilitate the loading and manipulation of long parts.

To speed finishing of very long workpieces, Empire can supply a dual-cabinet system. The unit shown includes a center expander with its own glove set and foottreadle control, which operates one of the system's two blast guns. Cabinet controls are independent, enabling two operators to work on a single piece at the same time.

When dust emissions present safety or nuisance problems, Empire has a number of solutions. The cabinet above,
for instance, has a self-cleaning tray to catch dust that is jarred loose when the door is opened. Other options include automatic clamps that seal cabinet doors shut until dust settles, a photohelic interlock that shuts down blasting if abnormalities occur in the dust-collection system, and the addition of a highly efficient HEPA filter to the system's dust collector.

This Herculean mold-cleaning cabinet boasts a load capacity of 10,000 pounds. Three viewing windows, two work stations and a DC-powered turntable play important roles in accessing and manipulating very heavy parts.

Designed for cleaning tire molds, this heavy-duty machine with a 2,500-pound-load capacity is actually portable. Wheels mounted on the legs permit the entire enclosure to be moved back and forth between two conveyors. Cleaning is provided by oscillating pressure nozzles delivering glass beads. Molds move through the machine over rugged, coated rollers. A manual work station is included for removal of tenacious spot residue.

The pressure cabinet shown above (side view) and below (front view) uses plastic media to deflash electrical components. A manual shuttle mounted through the cabinet door permits parts to be loaded without opening the blast enclosure.

A tray beneath the door captures particles that may spill out of the cabinet and routes them to the system's reclaimer where dust and debris are separated from reusable media. Blast nozzles are mounted on a ball-screw assembly tied into a controller which permits the operator to program the range of nozzle movement as well as desired blast and blowoff sequences.

This plastic-media pressure system combines a powered turntable with four nozzles, mounted on two linear oscillators, to strip wheels. Programmable controls facilitate quick adjustment of part and nozzle movement.

Used for finishing the interior surfaces of hollow circular workpieces, this machine includes a powered lance with a boron-carbide nozzle, a rotating part fixture and programmable controls. Through a control panel, the system can be programmed to blast, blow-off or stop during designated intervals in the lance's stroke.

Designed for processing workpieces in line, the machine on the left is positioned between two conveyors. Dead-air vestibules attached to the entry and exit points prevent media and dust from escaping the blast enclosure. A lowprofile manual turntable within the cabinet enables the operator to reach all work areas on parts. Access to the cabinet interior is gained through a large, rear-mounted door. To automate parts handling, this type of machine can be equipped with a pass-through conveyor.