Wheelabrator develops MP1000 TS machine for Alstom

The Wheelabrator Group Technology Centre has designed and manufactured a CNC shot peening system for reconditioning and maintenance facility Alstom Power Service in Dubai.

The MP1000 TS machine range can process a variety of gas turbine blade components that Alstom Dubai produces to improve or restore resistance to fatigue.

This equipment is claimed to meet and exceed the peening requirements of various blade airfoils and roots, as well as buckets and vanes from any gas turbine manufacturer.

The shot peening machine includes eight numerically controlled satellite turntables mounted on a revolving arm, allowing components to be loaded outside the blast chamber.

The table accepts components up to 260mm in diameter, 800mm in height and 20kg of unit weight, giving Alstom Dubai the capacity to process a range of blade and turbine apparatus.

The four-axis robot fitted on the roof of the machine allows accurate moving and positioning of the blast nozzle, with a horizontal stroke of 1000mm, a vertical stroke of 1000mm and a rotating wrist equipped at its base with a tilting axis of +/-180 degrees.

The large blast chamber is fitted with a wide door, facilitating access and programming.

The compact design of the machinery - with a pitless pneumatical recovery and ATEX-compliant dust collector - also minimises layout requirements, while a shot recycling system includes dedicated devices to calibrate the size or shape of steel shot in accordance with SAE and AMS standards.

Other classification systems for glass beads, ceramic beads, aluminium oxide or a mix of media are available.

The high-precision G7 peening generator is said to ensure an accurate peening process with dedicated air-pressure and shot-flow closed-loop regulation.

Various machine upgrade options are also available to Alstom Dubai through Wheelabrator's Equipment Modernisation Programme.

These include: a second generator for increasing the production rate; a spindle system (BR 1-10) for high-precision processing of small holes and slots; recovery and classification for two or three media, including glass bead/steel shot or ceramic bead/steel shot mix; a CF 36 automatic shot-flow calibration unit; and masking and almen fixtures.

Alstom may also benefit from the Wheelabrator Group's supervision software, which includes maintenance assistance with real-time flowcharts, equipment and process-control procedures, the storage or transfer of part programmes with graphic identification facilities and dynamic recording and storage of quality reports for each part processed.

Wheelabrator equipment is supported by an after-market service through Wheelabrator Plus, the support and supply division of the Wheelabrator Group.

The Wheelabrator Group Technology Centre is based in Charleville Meziere, France.

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