Americanmachinist 782 9530csbks0400jp00000003311
Americanmachinist 782 9530csbks0400jp00000003311
Americanmachinist 782 9530csbks0400jp00000003311
Americanmachinist 782 9530csbks0400jp00000003311
Americanmachinist 782 9530csbks0400jp00000003311

Monorail machine minimizes material handling

June 8, 2005
As part of its foundry modernization process, D&L Foundry in Moses Lake, Wash., installed a Wheelabrator 8-wheel monorail-blast machine to handle municipal castings such as man-hole covers and rings, gratings for trees, and commemorative-e
As part of its foundry modernization process, D&L Foundry in Moses Lake, Wash., installed a Wheelabrator 8-wheel monorail-blast machine to handle municipal castings such as man-hole covers and rings, gratings for trees, and commemorative-event plaques after they exit a rotary shake-out barrel. The monorail machine reduced material handling to one time on and one time off the system and eliminated using fork lifts and much of the labor involved with the previous process.

Parts, now picked directly off a shaker conveyor, hang in baskets on the overhead monorail. To cool the extremely hot parts, they leave the building on a zig-zag conveyor line at a speed of 10 ft/min prior to returning to the monorail shot-blast machine. Castings then leave the blast machine, gain elevation, enter a cleaning room, and undergo automatic or manual grinding.

As a continuous monorail system, the Wheelabrator machine never stops moving. Its construction is heavy-duty manganese and abrasive-resistant steel, making it sand-resistant for foundry work.

The monorail features 12 V-lock blades and a Targetlock control cage and uses 26 1/2-in. Autoblast wheels. Wheels run at 1,800 rpm, and once a pattern is set, they change easily.

Machine cast wheel housings require end liners, but not side liners. A direct-drive flange mount permits easy maintenance because no alignment is required.

International Surface Preparation
Golden, Col.
surfacepreparation.com