Shaping the industry

By admin July 16, 2015 12:17 pm IST

How Wheelabrator is shaping the industry with the launch of shot peening machine DRT
 The automotive market is becoming more and more demanding with increased expectations from the components being used in terms of better life, increased efficiency and higher workloads. Since safety and speed are important aspects in this industry, manufacturers are constantly upgrading their processes and adapting international norms. Components which are subjected to cyclic loading such as crankshafts, springs, transmission gears, connecting rods, etc are increasingly subjected to shot peening operation. To achieve the perfect solutions for automotive industry, Wheelabrator peening machines incorporate programmable control and automated component handling systems. These operate in line with pre-set programs to ensure the precise repeatability of the peening effect, which is essential for volume production. Shot peening, which is a means of controlled blasting, induces compressible stresses in the component thus increasing its fatigue life.
Wheelabrator, one of the leading surface preparation technology manufacturers, offers multi-table wheel shot peening machine – DRT. The machine is installed with one or two Roto-Jet blast wheels for standard applications and Saturn HD blast wheels for heavy duty applications. The main chamber is made from Mn (manganese) steel with replaceable liners in the direct blast zone. The wheel drives are fitted with Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to ensure that the wheel rotates at set RPM controlling the shot impinging velocity of the components. The number of independent rotary table has to be between six and 12. The drive used for the table indexing is mounted on top of the machine and the indexing time can be as low as three seconds for 30 degree rotation. Normally for shot peening, conditioned cut wire shots are preferred. The size of the shots is selected based on the component size, shape and profile that need to be peened. The machine shot recirculation system is fitted with multi-deck Gyro screen for the classification of the shots and allowing only the chosen size shots for the shot peening needs. The screen normally used is off line and continuously in operation. The machine is also equipped with safety and operation interlocks.
DRT is offered from DISA India Ltd’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility based at Hosakote, Bengaluru. The application, engineering and services play an important role in the peening solution implementation. Hence, the Wheelabrator team has been trained including MFA training to ensure perfect installation. The machine is assembled and tested in the Hosakote plant before dispatch.
Shot peeningShot peening is used widely to enhance the fatigue resistance of highly stressed metallic components. This in turn will improve the performance of safety-critical components. Any metallic component that is subjected to cyclic stresses within its elastic limit can benefit from the shot peening process. Peening is achieved by propelling a stream of media (precisely manufactured round steel shot, glass or ceramic beads) at components, at high velocity under fully controlled conditions utilising a compressed air stream  or, centrifugally, by means of a vaned wheel. Components that would benefit from this technology include aero engine fan blades, aircraft structural parts and automotive transmission systems. Peening is different from cleaning on various functions such as media velocity, media size, shape to name a few.