Galvatek lines highlighted at Surface World

Galvatek surface-treatment lines including chemical cleaning and anodising, sold in the UK by Turbex, were highlighted at the recent Surface World Live 2017 exhibition. Established for over 30 years, Glavatek has designed, delivered, installed and continues to service more than 600 turnkey installations in over 35 countries.

Galvatek is especially well known in the aerospace industry, as its lines for chemical cleaning, anodising and etching are used in factories manufacturing aircraft parts and engine components, as well as in the MRO sector. The supply of anodising plant forms a large part of the company’s business. Such facilities comprise one or several lines, and typically use TSA (tartaric sulphuric acid) or PSA (phosphoric sulphuric acid).
Chemical-cleaning lines are built either for one specific purpose or as part of a larger package where it prepares parts for other surface-treatment phases. Turnkey solutions are regularly supplied, complete with wastewater purification and recycling systems.
Turbex is also a specialist in the supply of aqueous cleaning and drying systems for batch or in-line processing. There are over 100 standard models in the range including top- and front-loading spray washers, benchtop and floor-standing ultrasonic machines, precision-cleaning machines with basket rotation and flood-wash options, and tunnel-cleaning lines.
Some systems are capable of contra-rotation of the holding basket and spray jets; the motions being individually adjustable to enhance processing efficiency. Other equipment is aimed primarily at precision-cleaning applications in the optics, medical, aerospace, automotive, nuclear and electronics sectors. For processing larger components, the heavy-duty Turbex AC range of front-loading spray-washing and rinsing machines are the preferred choice.
For further information www.turbex.co.uk

Vacuum blasters offer mess-free surface preparation

Nederman has launched its new 418A/460A and 418E/460E vacuum blasters. These air-powered, mobile, dustless abrasive-blasting systems are said to offer high suction power and separation efficiency.

Central to the design of the new Nederman dust-free blasting units is their mobility. Mounted on a steel frame with wheels, the 418/460 series can be manoeuvred anywhere around the workshop or factory. In contrast, the Preston-based company says that competitor models are often cumbersome, fixed floor-mounted systems.
The unit’s grit separator features a silo with an internal sieve, filling valve and vacuum producer. A pneumatic valve in the bottom of the silo empties the dust into a plastic bag. The efficiency of the system is highlighted by its ability to recirculate the shot media through the blasting and suction head (supplied as standard) more than three times. This reduces the cost of shot-blasting media, as well as downtime caused by time-consuming filling and cleaning operations.
Vacuum unit capacity is determined by the maximum blast pressure and the type of abrasive used. The sieve ensures that larger extracted particles cannot enter the blast vessel, while a compression pressure gauge informs the user of any change in operational pressure.
Nederman’s 193 kg 418 series offers 18-litre tank capacity. However, end users looking for more sustained blasting operations can consider the 460 series with its 60-litre capacity tank and 242 kg weight. The vacuum blasters can be supplied with a variety of hose lengths, nozzles and filters.
For further information www.nederman.co.uk

Gunning for success at Gamebore

“Quality comes first without any compromise,” is the ethos of Gamebore Cartridge Co Ltd, a Hull-based manufacturer of shotgun cartridges that contacted MecWash when a new component cleaning system was needed.

“We provide a full range of products for game and clay shooters at every stage of their development, from beginners through to world champions, and need to ensure we maintain the highest standard of cleanliness when making our cartridges,” says Phil Plowman, director at Gamebore.
“Our existing component-cleaning regime was not as robust as it could be and, as the only UK cartridge manufacturer operating to the exacting ISO 9001 standard, we cannot afford to leave any level of detail to chance.”
Gamebore duly approached MecWash, which recommended the installation of a Duo 400, an aqueous-cleaning system which can be applied to even the smallest of parts, such as the diamond shot used in manufacturing Gamebore’s cartridges.
“The other factor that made us choose a Duo was its relatively small footprint, as space is always at a premium in any factory setting and ours is no exception,” says Plowman. “This is especially as we are experiencing continual growth at the moment and need to ensure our Gamebore Shotwell Tower, the only working shot tower in the UK, is able to meet the increase in orders.
“We have been delighted with the quality of cleaning achieved by the Duo 400 because of the pristine finish it offers,” he continues. “This is vital as any specks of dirt, even the smallest amount, will affect the accuracy and repeatability of the final shot, both of which are critical factors in successful competition shooting.”
For further information www.mecwash.co.uk

4% growth

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the machine tools market in the US is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 4% through to 2021, largely due to the upward trend in automobile sales. “The flexible investment structure, large consumer base, government incentives and advanced technologies are likely to further boost demand for machine tools in the US automotive market during the forecast period,” says Raghav Bharadwaj Shivaswamy, a lead analyst at Technavio for automation research.
For further information www.technavio.com

Supplier of the year

Paul Fabrications, part of Unitech Aerospace, has won the 2016 Rolls-Royce Fabrications ‘Supplier of the Year’ award. The company received the award for its innovative and collaborative approach on a multi-million pound supply chain partnership. By embedding a Rolls-Royce team inside of Paul Fabrication’s Derby site, there is a new level of collaboration and transparency between the two organisations. As a result, Rolls-Royce has been able to consolidate its mature and legacy products with significantly reduced time to market and risk levels.
For further information www.unitech-aerospace.com