Simple Solutions That Work! Issue 9

JAMIE BURT Products Operations Manager NORTHSTAR PRODUCTS ARTICLE TAKEAWAYS: • Importance of the separator • Why inspect the I.D. flighting 14 3-PART CHECKLIST FOR INSPECTING YOUR SHOT BLASTING MACHINE SEPARATOR If the blast wheel is considered the heart of a shot blast system, the separator is its liver. Just like in the human body, the separator acts like a filter, processing the media that passes through your machine. The useable blast media gets separated from the tramp, dust, and other unusable material. The separator often gets overlooked because it tends to be 15-20 feet in the air. It’s also dirty, not well lit and, in the summer, very hot. To ensure efficient use, the following three areas should be inspected regularly and, in some cases, daily or multiple times per shift depending on your operation. 1. ROTARY SCREENS • Check for flashing or debris blocking the screen openings. Any obstruction can cause carry out of good abrasive via the discharge tube and reduce abrasive flow to the wheel. • Look for holes in the screen that would allow large pieces of debris to pass through to the wheel, resulting in significant damage and downtime. • Inspect the I.D. flighting periodically. As it wears, the I.D. flighting loses its ability to move tramp and debris from the screen to the discharge shoot.