Ryobi Aluminium Castings UK, a manufacturer of engine blocks, bedplates, clutch cases and transmission cases for the automotive industry, required a new engine block cleaning line to provide a high cleanliness specification ready for pressure testing. The line included a MecWash Midi machine and chiller system, designed and built by MecWash, to ensure the blocks arrived at pressure testing at ambient temperature.
Two blocks are cleaned simultaneously by the Midi before being moved along the conveyor towards the chiller unit where the automated conveyor picks up the blocks and drives them through. The specially designed chiller unit monitors the temperature of the blocks and only releases them when they are at ambient temperature. The blocks are moved to the pressure tester and the fixture is returned to the start of the cleaning line via the powered return conveyor and scissor lifts. All this had to be done to tight takt times.
Managing director of MecWash, John Pattison says: “Our Midi provides the ultimate flexible aqueous component cleaning and degreasing system – combining ultrasonics with high flow washing, rinsing, dedicated jetting and vacuum drying to provide the highest quality of component cleaning and drying available.
“What’s more, our Midi systems are designed to process complex and intricate machined or pressed parts that require very high standards of cleanliness, surface finish and dryness, including the removal of all types of contamination from soluble and mineral oils to greases, polishing compounds, lapping pastes and dye penetrants, all of which are crucial in the automotive industry.”
“The Ryobi name is highly respected throughout the automotive component sector and we are pleased to be working with the company to deliver such excellent results,” he adds.
Barry Reynolds, senior project engineer with Ryobi affirms: “Ryobi is extremely delighted with the performance of the MecWash Midi to date, and its ability to increase productivity, whilst improving standards in cleanliness. We have other MecWash machines at Ryobi so we were confident that they could deliver to our strict production schedules.”
MecWash offers a number of tailored options to meet the cleaning requirements of all customers, including the advanced specifications of the automotive and aerospace sectors.
To date, more than 300 Midi systems have been supplied to blue chip automotive and aerospace engineers and manufacturers worldwide, confirming their parts washing capability.
Ryobi www.ryobi.co.uk
MecWash www.mecwash.co.uk
