The Productivity Of Grinding vs Blasting

About Heil Environmental Industries Limited:

Heil is the industry leader in garbage truck body design and specialized refuse body manufacturing. Since 1901, we have built a reputation for quality, durability, and innovation in the solid waste industry.

Objective:

Improve the quality of finished products. Reduce/eliminate weld spatter on the job site and increase safety for employees.

Solution:

Implemented a robotic blast booth that integrates with the customer’s floor-mounted chain conveyor system to seamlessly transfer workpieces through to paint after blasting. The system leverages a full-underfloor abrasive recovery system to automatically separate blasting waste from reusable abrasive without operator intervention.

Result:

The blast booth and robot installation resulted  in an 88% reduction in labor for surface preparation – from 5 men working for 80 minutes each, down to a single operator controlling the blasting robot for a cycle time of 50 minutes. Additionally, workers familiar with the grinding process are excited about the substantial upgrade in terms of safety and ergonomics.