In the economic downturn, one has to be flexible and innovative to continue growing. Industries that represented a high portion of annual turnover were traditionally found in marine and the heavy iron & steel industry. Everybody knows these particular industries have been hit hard over in past years, resulting in investment stops and very low economic activity in general. One of the aspects that contribute to the economic downturn is the ever increasing fuel prices. This makes companies look at any possible fuel-saving options to run a healthy business. This applies especially to airlines, as the fuel cost represents a very high percentage of their operational cost. A direct result is the increased demand for new aircraft: in search for the lowest noise, lowest cost of ownership, & lowest emission. The order books from aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer are filled completely. Straaltechniek International recognises this and have shifted their focus accordingly. The aerospace industry has been a regular customer since the early 80s, but over the past number of years have stood for the majority of their turnover. With their flexible organisation, know-how, focus on innovation and proven track record, they are ready for what the future requires.

High-end Dual Robotic Shot Peening Machine For Rolls-Royce, United Kingdom

Straaltechniek International is proud that they became a member of Rolls-Royce’s first tier supply chain within the Civil Aerospace division when they obtained the order to design, manufacture and commission this state-of-the-art shot peening machine. In line with the latest developed technology for the Trent Engine program, their solution includes the necessary features to fulfil the high standards that were set by the Rolls-Royce project team. It ensures the highest possible level of automation, flexibility, and it maximizes efficiency of the whole shot peening process. The project was kicked-off during mid-2011. A detailed specification was defined in close cooperation with the Rolls-Royce project team to satisfy their requirement for a state of the art shot peening facility including a "Green Button" process, i.e. no manual intervention after the process is started, not even manual change of the nozzles and lances.

Built by innovators Several objectives were set by the project team as a must for the automated shot peening machine to be designed.

Automatic nozzle/lance exchange Currently most shot peening machines have manual changing of nozzles and/ or lances; this robotic shot peening machine is equipped with an automatic change function that will facilitate the "Green Button" process, hence reducing manual intervention & improving process flow.

Off-line programming Most robots are traditionally programmed by teaching, resulting in "Down Time". The use of these robots with specially developed programming software facilitates precision off-line programming. Provided with built-in collision detection, "down time" will be reduced significantly when introducing new components or updating programs.

Special nozzles & lances Within this robotic shot peening project, custom shot peening nozzles & lances are developed to reduce process time and improve uniform distribution of residual compressive stress in the whole component.

Process control This robotic shot peening machine is a state-of-the-art, 14-axis robotic facility with the ability to monitor & control all KPI’s. The control system is fully automatic and closed loop, delivering unrivalled levels of process reliability and repeatability. The control system will log individual component process parameters that can be used for long term analysis and will meet the requirements of governing bodies (e.g. FAA, EASA, Nadcap) and OEM’s to automatically monitor and record critical processes.

New standards are set with the delivery of this machine: An automated and precision shot peening machine to satisfy the needs of the future. A unique process developed within the production line; manufacturing critical fan and turbine discs that provide the necessary thrust for commercial aircraft engines powering aircraft such as the Boeing 777 & Dreamliner, Airbus A380 and the XWB family.

For Information:
Straaltechniek International BV
Innovatiepark 24
NL-4906 AA Oosterhout / The Netherlands
P.O. Box 164 - 4900 AD Oosterhout
The Netherlands
Tel. +31.162.748 010
Fax +31.162.748 011
E-mail: info@straaltechniek.net
www.straaltechniek.net