Aug 27 2008
Wheelabrator Group has recently delivered another airblast machine to a well-known aerospace company to provide an automatic paint striping process for aircraft rims.
The blast machine will prepare the aircraft rims for crack detection, a crucial part of the compliance process within the aerospace industry – with safety being at the forefront of their manufacturing process.
Automatic replaces manual for increased efficiency
Paint stripping of the aircraft rims was previously done manually and due to the enormous workloads of aerospace maintenance companies the process was proving to be very costly and timely – not forgetting an exhausting job as the rims are relatively heavy! The Wheelabrator airblast machine has now replaced manual labour which has in turn increased efficiency, productivity and allowed labour to be allocated to more effective tasks.
In most cases, the rims consist of two halves which are blasted singularly. The operator lays the workpiece on a special rotating device which Wheelabrator Group has developed specifically for this application. The rotating device is very flexible and suitable for the blasting of all common rim types for medium to large sized aircrafts.
Easy to use, automated process
The rotating device is installed on a rail-bound car which can be easily moved by the operator.
After placing the rim into the blast position, the operator sets the corresponding blast programme in the machine control panel and starts the treatment process. All other functions are fully automatic. A nozzle manipulator with 3 movement axis guides one blast nozzle over the inside and outside contour of the rotating workpiece. The movement pattern is part of the blasting programme and is unique for each workpiece type.
As usual in the aerospace industry, all further blast parameters like air pressure and abrasive flow are under control
The Dry Stripping Process has flexibility and multi-use
This process is not only used for stripping paint from aircraft rims it can also be used for other applications. In the aerospace industry it is also used for stripping paint from landing gear parts and the military aerospace industry uses this process to strip paint from outboard assemblies. The process is mainly used to prepare components for crack detection or to check for visual changes e.g. for military operations for UNO or NATO.
The process can also be used in the automotive or electronic industry, especially for components that require a gentle of method of cleaning. Dry stripping replaces the use of chemicals and thus, contributes to the protection of the environment.
For more information on aerospace, click here.