The quality of the surface finish of any type of castings, for example, automotive components such as engine or transmission parts or castings for hydraulics and other applications, plays an extremely important role in the competitiveness of a foundry. For this reason, in today’s industrial environment, foundries are faced with the challenge of having to improve their overall quality and, at the same time, reduce their costs. Rösler continuous feed vibratory finishing systems play an important role in meeting these challenges.

For finishing tasks like deburring, edge-breaking/radiusing, surface grinding, surface smoothing and general cleaning of mid- to large-size single components as well as small bulk parts, Rösler continuous mass finishing systems not only offer excellent surface finishes at low processing times, but they also require relatively little space. Interlinked systems with proven material handling solutions allow the quick and easy integration into automated manufacturing lines.

Of course, an important part of the all-round finishing package offered by Rösler are the more than 8,000 different types of plastic and ceramic media as well as compounds, which are all manufactured in-house.

Rotomatic – high finishing performance with very little space requirements

Even in the case of relatively large castings, the general purpose Rotomatic machines with their spiral-shaped processing channel with channel widths ranging from 150 – 370 mm (6.0 to 14.8 inches) and channel lengths of up to 27,000 mm (89 feet), offer a high finishing performance and, at the same time, require very little space. The actual processing times may vary between 5 and 15 minutes. And even with relatively short in-feed cycle times, the parts will not touch at the point of entry into the work bowl. For reliable separation of the finished parts from the media, the Rotomatic design features an integrated separation unit with a large screen area and its own vibratory drive system. This allows the parts-specific setting of the separation parameters. Different screen designs are available to ensure excellent separation results for the most challenging parts with complex geometries. Built-in spray nozzles allow the rinsing of the finished parts on the separation screen. For many applications, this rinse step is fully sufficient for further processing of the parts without requiring an additional washing cycle. The availability of a large range of peripheral equipment facilitates the integration into automatic manufacturing lines.

LINEAR-FLOW continuous feed systems – high performance and excellent finishing results

The LINEAR-FLOW equipment range is ideally suited for the surface finishing of mid- to large-size aluminum and steel castings. Several imbalance units below the linear work bowl with bowl widths of 425 to 850 mm (17 to 34 inches) and bowl lengths of up to 6,600 mm (21.7 feet) provide a highly intensive and homogeneous movement of the parts/media mix over the complete machine length of the work bowl. This results in a high grinding performance and an even parts transport through the machine. The powerful mechanical action in the machine combined with highly abrasive grinding media produces an extremely high productivity with a maximum of metal removal. For this reason, all critical components of the vibratory separation unit and the media return system are made from wear-resistant materials allowing the use of super abrasive and heavy ceramic media. The processing times can be easily adjusted between 5 and 15 minutes by inclining the work bowl. This is done by a simple signal from the PLC. Various types of material handling equipment are available, such as conveyor belts for the feeding of single parts into the machine according to pre-determined cycle times, or lift & tip systems with weighing cells for loading of bulk parts. For processing of delicate parts, the drives of the processing unit as well as the separation station can be equipped with frequency inverters. The separation unit has large screens with multiple tumbling steps for quick, reliable and gentle separation of the finished parts from the media. The separation unit is equipped with rinse stations for fast and efficient cleaning of the finished parts. For applications requiring a higher degree of cleanliness, special washing stations with integrated recycling and filter systems are available.

Long Radius systems – allowing continuous feed as well as batch processing

The compact Long Radius machine range with internal separation was specifically developed for the economical surface finishing of relatively small and easy to separate parts in 5 to 10 minutes. The large work bowl with a length of up to 9,000 mm (30 feet) offers a high volume and, thus, a high parts throughput. The model R 480/2E-LR with its special double curved wall work bowl design is ideal for finishing of light-weight and/or delicate parts. An in-feed chute placed on the outside of the work bowl allows the easy and impingement free feeding of small parts into the work bowl. With the optional separation flap, the Long Radius machines can be run in continuous as well as in batch mode.

Rotary vibrator – highly versatile all-round vibratory finishing systems on 4 m2 (40 sqft)

Standard rotary vibrators with in-feed chute and fixed separation flap can also be used for continuous feed processing. They are the ideal machines for finishing of small parts in one single pass and processing times of up to 3.5 minutes. The space requirements for such systems usually do not exceed more than 4 m2 (40 sqft). Frequently, such machines are used as decentralized systems that are directly linked with the manufacturing step preceding the vibratory finishing process. Special work bowl designs and integrated separation units are available for impingement free processing of castings with extremely complex shapes.

Designed for high loads, high uptimes and long life

All vibratory finishing units from Rösler are characterized by their extremely robust design. For example, all steel fabrications are stress-free annealed after welding. This guarantees a long equipment life under the most severe operating conditions and low maintenance costs. The Rösler reline service ensures short turnaround times and, therefore, low down-times, whenever the wear resistant liner needs to be replaced.

The high manufacturing depth at Rösler and the intensive in-house R&D activities always allow for customer-oriented equipment designs including a wide range of peripheral equipment.

For Information:
Barbara Müller
Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH
Vorstadt 1
96190 Untermerzbach, Germany
Tel. +49.9533.924-0
Fax +49.9533.924-300
E-mail: info@rosler.com
www.rosler.com