A good surface treatment is not only important for the presentation of a product, but it’s also essential for the accurate final processing. Timesavers Goes supplied therefore, for the second time, a Grindingmaster machine to GEHA Zaandam to deburr flame cut products. This time a complete slag grinding line, whereby products can be finished fast and effective at two sides in one pass.

During the processing of steel, like punched, laser-, plasma- or flame cutting, frequently heavy burrs appear and rough parts on the corners of the cutting edge.  For a clear dimension and a clean look it’s essential to finish the products. With the Gindingmaster machines and the slag grinding lines Timesavers Goes provides effective solutions, by which the finishing can be perfectly and quickly accomplished. Grindingmaster machines can be executed in a wet or a dry version, depending on application and customer’s desires, whereas the work width of the machines can fluctuate from 220 even till 2600 mm. For the sheet metal Timesaver supplies machines with a disc aggregate or a rotating brush, whereby products can be perfectly rounded. Besides that, Timesavers also produces machines for woodworking (Sandingmaster) and grinding of products made of concrete, plastic, polyurethane or other materials.

Saving time

Grindingmaster machines are constructed of various contact roller- or brush heads, positioned behind each other., GEHA has chosen for the two at the same time rotating contact roller heads with each a grinding belt and a  brush head that runs against it. The first grinding belt hits the heavy burrs from the sheet, the second grinds the surface and folds itself through a relatively soft belt over the edges of the product, so it creates a nicely rounded radius. The brush head contains a steel brush roll with a very high density. This roll removes the secondary grinding burrs and other sharp remains from the metal, after that a nice and smooth surface appears. The grinding pressure of every unit can be independently adapted to the desired grind intensity. The products can be perfectly finished in a process of one pass. A big advantage is that the Grindingmaster lines are far more quite, accurate and most of all faster working than an employee who has to do the same job by hand or with a square grinder. For a manufacturer it decreases a lot of working hours and it is favorable for a low cost price of a product. Besides that, the completion  is a lot cleaner, exact and most of all more continuous, so that the presentation of the product is more attractive for the customer.

GEHA

One of the companies that uses a Timesavers Grindingmaster to full satisfaction, is GEHA, established in Zaandam; a specialist in cutting and processing of Hardox sheets. Hardox is a Swedish steel product, it has a very high quality and durable properties because of the use of special minerals and through a specific manufacturer method. Hardox steel is through and through hardened, because of that it is  extremely suitable for example for road finisher, pump housing, steel shredders and brick crusher. A disadvantage is that the material is Hardox, so it’s difficult to process. That is a specialism of GEHA, with assistance of plasma- or autogenous cutters it’s possible to cut sheets of Hardox till 1 mm accurate. On the cutting edge burrs can arise and those have to be removed. “The dimensioning of the process isn’t right if the product through a burr differently positioned in a moulding cutter or a drilling machine”, according Geurt van Peursem from GEHA, “A problem is furthermore that you can’t fasten a product properly. If a burr abruptly breaks and the sheet isn’t fastened, as result of, then you have a risk of braking a moulding cutter.”

Efficiency

Deburring products is really necessary. In former times it all happened just by hand or with a square grinder, but in 1998 GEHA decided to purchase their first Grindingmaster by Timesavers. The experiences with the machine were positive enough to conclude that they need a newer,more advanced slag grinding line. This grinding line exists of 2 in one line placed Grindingmaster machines, where the steel sheet runs through an electrical driven roller conveyor in one pass. The first machine processes the rough burrs of the metal and the second machine takes care of the bottom. A pneumatic/magnetic lifting arm makes sure that steel sheets can quickly and easily be placed on the roller conveyor. “The production process is far more efficient now than it was before and that saves a lot of costs”, according Van Peursem. “Beside, the Timesavers Grindingmaster is also ergonomic. The grinding doesn’t make a lot of noise and the products don’t have to be turned around because of the up- and down emplacement. Also the loading and unloading of the products is easier. That increases the work rate. Previously we needed a day to deburr a pallet full of sheet metal, now we can do it in one and a half hour! At least as important is that the level of our products is strongly improved through the Timesavers Grindingmaster. The final product looks cleaner and the quality is more constant. Customers don’t even have to sand blast before they laquer all over. This is very much appreciated. Nowadays customers even complain if the sheets are not treated by the Grindingmaster line!”

For more information about Timesavers Grindingmaster solutions you can contact  Timesavers Goes, Peter de Regt tel: +316 38822312  or + 31  113-238900 or visit  www.Timesaversint.com.