CASE STUDY ® E NVIRONMENTAL RotoClone N Installation SOLUTIONS

A Clean Solution for Shot Peened Aluminum

Shot peening is often referred to as the bombardment of with shot, or very small aluminum balls, in order to increase its material properties such as and porosity. This process can also increase the cycle life on a component, as it is less likely to crack or fracture. is very similar to shot blasting, however, shot peening tends to be less abrasive and removes less material from the parent , resulting in a smaller amount of dust generation.

Without proper ventilation, shot peening booths can experience a problematic accumulation of aluminum debris on the floor and other surfaces, as well as aluminum dust and shot particles dispersing through the air. These particulates have a high potential for causing fires and explosions, requiring properly engineered equipment and systems to be used to minimize risk. An explosive event could shut down a company’s entire process so that extensive inspections and repairs can be made.

An industrial fabricator of welded aluminum components required for the construction of bridge assemblies utilized a shot peening process to finish their parts. Used extensively in the aerospace industry, shot peening is an effective method of that will strengthen and provide stress relief to metal and alloy parts while also helping to prevent the propagation of micro-cracks.

Product Type: RotoClone® N Location: United Kingdom www.aafintl.com Industry: Case Study | Metalworking | RotoClone® N Installation

Challenge The debris from the shot combined with the fine aluminum dust from the welded assemblies creates a significant amount of dust which needs to be removed while peening. The customer’s biggest challenge was airborne aluminum dust, which has a high explosion potential and requires a carefully designed solution.

Solution The RotoClone® N is perfect for this aluminum shot peening application because it uses water as its collecting medium, making the equipment inherently explosion proof. The unit was specifically designed to handle heavy Contact your sales office: dust loading, which occurs in shot peening operations, suitable for loadings as high as 10 grains per cubic foot.

Americas Italy Tel: +39 031 35 25 311 USA Email: [email protected] Tel: 1 502 637 0011 Email: [email protected] Germany Benefits Tel: +49 (0) 6251 80368 0 México The RotoClone® N helped to ensure a safe workplace Email: [email protected] Tel: +52 55 5565 5200 through the elimination of airborne dust. With no cartridges Email: [email protected] UAE to replace, worker exposure to dirty filters was eliminated. Tel: 009714 8894886 Brasil ® Email: [email protected] The hopper configuration of the Rotoclone N allowed for Tel: +55 11 5567 3000 the continuous draining of the water/dust slurry. Email: [email protected] Asia Pacific Europe, Middle East & Africa China (Wuhan) Tel: +86 27 8447 3671 UK +86 27 8447 3672 Tel: +44 1670 713 477 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Malaysia Spain Tel: +60 3 5039 7777 Tel: +34 945 214851 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Australia France Tel: +61 439 442 464 Tel: +33 2 32 53 60 60 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]