First AI-based abrasive control system

With the first AI-based abrasive control system, an intelligent scallop valve ensures optimum blasting performance and significantly greater efficiency in the blasting process. The ideal process parameters are entered simply and intuitively on the control panel.

With the unique Rösler PowerLine Valve, Rösler significantly simplifies turbine blasting. The newly developed, intelligent scallop valve ensures that the blasting performance is automatically and optimally controlled for different blasting requirements. The control is independent of the turbine speed and does not require time-consuming manual adjustment of the blast media volume. This largely eliminates malfunctions and operating errors and increases process and machine safety. Process optimization, abrasive consumption and energy savings thus lead to a high level of efficiency in the blasting process.

The turbines are the heart of a blasting system and have a significant influence on the blasting performance, the duration of a blasting process and its costs. In order to ensure optimum operation for different blasting requirements, time-consuming adjustments to the blasting medium quantity are required during commissioning, the creation of a component-specific blasting program, a blasting medium change and turbine maintenance. A key parameter here is the speed of the turbine: if this is reduced - for whatever reason - this has an impact on power consumption and abrasive throughput. Rösler's new, intelligent scallop valve ensures that the blasting power is always automatically set and regulated to the optimum level, regardless of the turbine speed. The sometimes manual, error-prone adjustment of the clam-shell valve using push buttons is now a thing of the past.

The basis for this new solution, for which a patent application has been filed, is a scallop pusher that is automatically positioned via sensors according to the specified amount of blasting agent. A routine was developed and programmed for the position calculation based on the parameters of power consumption, discharge speed and blasting agent quantity. The software enables a separate control diagram to be created automatically for each turbine within a few minutes via the menu item "Teach in blast media quantity", for example. No manual intervention is required. The optimum process parameters for the respective blasting process, such as discharge speed, blast media quantity or power consumption, can then be entered simply and intuitively by employees via the control panel. This makes it possible, for example, to work with a higher blasting agent quantity and discharge speed if a high throughput is required. It is also possible to blast sensitive workpieces with the lowest possible amount of abrasive and blasting speed for processing in line with requirements.

In daily operation, the new Rösler PowerLine Valve ensures significantly faster blasting processes. The previously tedious manual adjustment of the shell valve is no longer necessary. Malfunctions and operating errors are largely eliminated and blasting processes run reliably and reproducibly, avoiding unplanned system downtimes. At the same time, energy savings can be realized with this intelligent solution. In addition, individual blasting programs for new components can be easily created and saved. It is also possible to easily implement complex blasting processes with different quantities of blasting media.

One example of this is the desanding of cast parts, where a small amount of blast media is used to start with and then slowly increased. This ensures that the sand introduced is effectively removed from the abrasive and that the parts are cleaned as required. Compared to conventional sand removal processes, in which the turbines are usually switched on gradually, the cycle time can be significantly reduced. The Rösler PowerLine Valve also offers advantages in shot peening processes with short cycle times, as the adjustment times are significantly shorter than with conventional valves. The automatic monitoring and documentation of the abrasive flow rate is another plus. This makes it easy to prove that the blasting process has been carried out with defined parameters.
The new Rösler PowerLine Valve is available as an option and can also be added to the Rösler Smart Solutions package for system digitization. (OM-4/24)