Conveyorised washer ousts solvent-based system

A conveyorised aqueous cleaning system installed in the French bearings division of a multinational engine and automotive equipment supplier has replaced a basket batched, solvent based unit.

Guyson International recently installed a Guyson Marr-Line 200/3 conveyorised aqueous cleaning system into the French bearings division of a multinational global engine and automotive equipment supplier.

Designed as a more efficient and environmentally acceptable replacement for a previous basket batched, solvent based chemical washing process.

The new system processes a continuous flow of small aluminium/bronze power steering pump bearings contaminated by lubricating oil.

These are now thoroughly washed clean and dried, crucially without surface marking, to the high cleanliness standards acceptable for heat treatment at rates of up to 450 per hour.

Because of the small size of the component adjustable guide rails are fitted throughout the machine to help minimise sideways movement without masking any area during the washing process.

From the time it is robotically loaded on to the half pitch, stainless steel honeycomb mesh conveyor, continuously moving at a pre-set speed varying from 300-750mm per minute, each bearing is guided separately in-line and channelled through the process to be firstly saturated by a pressurised, high intensity, heated water based spray wash delivered by a series of overhead and side positioned V-spray patterned jets.

Excess wash solution remaining on the surface is removed by an overhead air knife powered by a heated blower to optimise the final drying performance inside the drying chamber where blown heated air is convected through adjustable louvres to produce a completely clean and dry surface.

From the out-feed each bearing is off loaded down a nylon lined chute on to a rotating collection table controlled by a photo-electric cell which detects when the table is full and prevents the conveyor from advancing until the components are removed.

The overall length of the installation is 5030mm and includes two separate stainless steel wash and dry process chambers, a 600mm loading extension, a central 350mm collecting airwash chamber and an extended out-feed of 200mm leading to an offloading chute and a 1200mm diameter rotary collection table.

Additional features introduced include the digital monitoring of the temperature of the wash solution, the siting of the entire machine inside a water tight tray with the capacity to hold in excess of a full tank of washing solution, and a sump pump, activated from the control panel, for speedily emptying the tank during cleaning and maintenance.

(This was Manufacturingtalk's Top Story on 29 May 2002).

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