Surface finisher contributes to award win

Bang and Olufsen chose a Guyson Multiblast(r) RXS900 rotary table surface finishing system, to prepare its prize-winning cordless aluminium telephones and remote controls, for anodising.

Bang and Olufsen took first prize at the 'European Aluminium Awards for Industrial Design and Engineering' with its 'Beo-1 remote control unit', winning in the consumers products' category.

An important part being played by a machine supplied by Guyson International.

Bang and Olufsen A/S, the Danish company with an international reputation for producing sophisticated elegantly designed and technically innovative audio visual home entertainment systems, recently selected a Guyson Multiblast(r) RXS900.

An automatic rotary table surface finishing system, to prepare their newly designed range of cordless aluminium telephones and remote controls, for anodising.

Stylishly shaped from aluminium tube, the lightweight casings weigh less than 50 grammes.

The finishing specification requires a consistent, low profile, matt finish of less than 0.05mm, completely free from surface marking produced at a rate of up to 90 casings per hour.

The required seductive tactile feel was achieved, using a special blast media projected at low pressure at the casings held in special component holders on each of the RXS900 Multiblast(r) six spindles.

All loading and processing operations are synchronised and linked to the precise movement of the indexing turntable so as to ensure that each component stops, with clockwork accuracy in the same position, for the same timed period, every time.

As each casing stops at the first of two blast-finishing stations it is rotated on its own axis during which time it receives simultaneously one measured beadblast stroke from four strategically positioned vertically traversing guns.

It then progresses to the second blast finishing station where the process is repeated before being transferred to the air wash cleaning chamber where surface dusts and fines are removed prior to offloading within a completed process time of only 40 seconds.

Considerable flexibility has been designed into the system, each one of the eight vertically traversing blast guns is independently controlled and all gun positions are adjustable.

Processing costs of compressed air and blast media are kept to a minimum by co-ordinating their use with the time cycles selected for beadblasting and air-washing.

The precise nature of the system, particularly with regard to the synchronisation of all loading and processing operations, also permits where required, a precise linkup with robotic pick and place mechanisms and is a major contributory factor where repetitive specialised finishes need to be produced and high quality standards maintained.

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