OTTOSTAHL GmbH, based in Magdeburg, faced the need to replace an old rotary table shot blast machine, setting forth challenging requirements for short cycle times, high energy efficiency, and removing personnel from physically demanding tasks. Rösler, in collaboration with automation specialist Teqram, have worked on meeting these demands by introducing the universally applicable rotary table Easy Shotblaster RDT 150, equipped with an intelligent stationary robot.
For over 80 years, Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH has been a player in the surface preparation and finishing industry. As a privately-owned company, Rösler has established itself as one of the global market leaders, providing a comprehensive range of equipment, consumables, and services in mass finishing and shot blasting technologies. With a diverse portfolio of about 15,000 consumables developed in Customer Experience Centers and laboratories worldwide, Rösler caters to the individual finishing needs of various industries.
Operating under the brand name AM Solutions, Rösler extends its expertise to additive manufacturing/3D printing, offering a range of equipment solutions and services in this innovative field. The Rösler Academy serves as the central training center, providing practical, hands-on seminars covering mass finishing, shot blasting, and additive manufacturing.
With a global network of 15 locations and approximately 150 sales agents, Rösler remains committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions and services to industries worldwide. The company’s longstanding presence and continuous innovation underscore its position as a trusted and influential player in surface technology.
Teqram, the automation specialist, on the other hand, specializes in delivering turn-key robot systems for handling applications, offering solutions that demonstrate superior flexibility in adapting to product variations and changes in the environment compared to traditional industrial robots. Their expertise extends to the development of software, products, and vision-guided robots. Serving a diverse clientele, they cater to manufacturers across various industries.
OTTOSTAHL, located in Magdeburg, specializes in producing highly precise plasma-cut components up to 30 mm thick and flame-cut components up to 300 mm thick. The company’s comprehensive service portfolio includes customized component production with CAD technology, detailed work plans, and post-processing operations such as shot blasting, drilling, and mechanical chamfering. Additionally, they facilitate material testing through independent external testing offices. With an inventory of 4,000 tons of different steel grades and a reliable supplier network, OTTOSTAHL ensures quick and dependable order processing.
Facing challenges associated with a shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the shot blasting department for sheet metal components, the company utilizes three machines, including two continuous flow roller conveyor machines and a rotary table blast machine. To meet evolving customer demands and address workforce constraints, OTTOSTAHL decided to replace its over 60-year-old rotary table blast machine with a modern RDT 150 system from Rösler.
The new system was designed to achieve specified shot blast results for a diverse range of components while ensuring short cycle times and high energy efficiency. Given the difficulty in finding qualified workers in Magdeburg, the company also emphasized the need to relieve existing personnel from strenuous physical activities. Consequently, a fully automatic mechanical handling solution for components became a key requirement.
In collaboration with Teqram, Rösler developed a fully automatic shot blasting solution centered around the Easy Shotblaster RDT 150 rotary table machine. This integrated blast system, housed in an eight-by-eight-meter manufacturing cell, features an intelligent stationary robot and the RDT 150 shot blast machine with suitable accessories.
The vision-controlled robot, featuring advanced image processing technology and a robust 200 kg load capacity, effortlessly identifies components within its working area, regardless of their position on the pallet. This eliminates the need for time-consuming teaching or programming. With its user-friendly interface requiring no specialized knowledge, the robot streamlines operations.
Following the automatic gripper selection from the magazine, the robot efficiently picks up components, strategically placing them on the rotary table. It then shares component data with the machine controls to choose an appropriate processing program. As the cycle reaches its halfway point, the robot automatically rotates the components on the rotary table for blasting the opposite side. Once the blasting process concludes, the robot efficiently returns the finished workpieces to the pallet.
The RDT 150 rotary table blast machine facilitates efficient blast cleaning of workpieces with varying sizes and shapes. Featuring a 1,500 mm diameter table with a 500 kg load-bearing capacity, the machine is equipped with two Gamma 300G turbines, each boasting 11 kW of installed power. The innovative Y-design of the Rösler Gamma turbines, with curved throwing blades, delivers up to 20% higher blast performance compared to conventional turbines while consuming less energy.
Bulkheads in front of the turbines aid in reducing cycle times and energy consumption. During the rotation of workpieces on the table, the blast media flow is halted, but the turbines maintain full-speed operation, preventing costly energy peaks during deceleration and acceleration. Before the robot rotates the workpieces, a special blow-off system efficiently removes residual blast media from the rotary table.
Approximately 90% of components can be efficiently loaded and unloaded by the robot, with the crane handling components exceeding the robot’s capacity or very small components when automated loading would be time-consuming. For safety during manual loading, the turbines are fully turned off before opening the blast chamber door.
The robust design of the compact shot blast machine ensures high equipment uptime. The blast chamber, constructed from durable manganese steel, is lined with easily replaceable wear plates made from highly wear-resistant material. Both sides of the Y-shaped throwing blades in the Gamma turbines can be utilized, effectively doubling their usable life.
A quick exchange system facilitates the replacement of throwing blades without the need to dismount the turbines. The highly automated Easy Shotblaster RDT 150 enables OTTOSTAHL to efficiently blast clean a diverse range of sheet metal components, significantly reducing labor input and improving working conditions for employees.
