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GATEWAY ACADEMY GROUP EXPLORES ROBOTIC BLASTING

Published by Guyson on August 4, 2011

Nineteen students from Ballston Spa Middle School made a field trip to Guyson Corporation’s Saratoga Springs plant on August 4, 2011, as part of their rich week-long “summer camp” experience in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in the school district’s Gateway Academy program.

Can you identify the future engineers in this photo?

Can you pick out the future engineers in this group of students?

After a brief introduction to Guyson Corporation and the fundamentals of blasting technology, the students formed three smaller teams to visit the Engineering Department, the Testing Laboratory and the Guyson factory floor, where they saw automated and robotic blasting machinery being built.

One highlight of the visit was the demonstration of a working robotic blast system that is custom-designed for shot peening of industrial gas turbine blade roots. The students also saw Computer-Aided Design tools used by design engineers, CNC machine tools, several types of blasting machines under construction and examples of surface treatments for a selection of aerospace, automotive and medical components.

Dan Dopp, Project Engineering Manager at Guyson Corporation, who hosted the robotic shot peening demonstration, expressed pleasant surprise at the attentiveness of some of the youthful visitors.

“There were some very good questions from each of the teams of young people,” Dopp commented. “I think there might easily have been several future engineers in this Gateway Academy group. For many, the visit to Guyson could be the first exposure to a manufacturing work place, and it is great that the opportunity was provided for them at that age.”

At the end of the visit, the students gathered in the reception area of the main building at Guyson’s 80,000 square foot factory, and each participant received a souvenir Guyson Robotic Blasting T-shirt.

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ROBOTIC GRIT-BLASTING SYSTEM STOPS FINISH VARIATION

Published by Guyson on June 13, 2011

Guyson Corporation has introduced a mid-size robotic gritblasting machine for precision surface preparation in coatings work cells. The seven-axis blast unit is capable of accurately and efficiently producing a specified surface roughness with a consistency not possible using manual or multiple-gun blasting methods.

Guyson 7-axis robotic grit-blasting system

Robotic surface preparation enables Six Sigma quality in precision roughening.

A six-axis robot arm, serving as a blast gun manipulator, is attached to a 52 x 32-inch rotary blasting cabinet with a servomotor-driven 24-inch turntable controlled as a seventh axis of coordinated robotic motion. A part-holding fixture securely attached to the table positively locates the component, which can be oriented or rotated at controlled speed during the programmed process routine.

For grit-blast preparation of components with through-holes, vents or internal passageways, where media could collect during processing, the spindle or turntable is designed with core air supplied to allow a positive and adjustable flow of purge air through the component during blasting. If exacting table run-out tolerances apply, Guyson can do the machining in place using custom robot end-of-arm spindle tooling.

 Key to the elimination of over-blasted and under-blasted component surfaces is the robotic blast system’s ability to constantly maintain the exact blasting angle, nozzle-to-surface distance and surface speed while precisely following the contours of complex-shaped parts. The robotic blasting machine with a single blast gun executes the motion program identically each time, and the system can store and recall process recipes for over one hundred different components. Significant productivity gains can be realized by making set-up for different parts unnecessary, since the operator only needs to install the interchangeable fixture and identify the correct program to prepare for grit-blasting a new component.

 Beyond accurate and repeatable motion of the nozzle and component, precision roughening requires advanced blast media delivery and reclamation to ensure that the miniature grit projectiles that actually do the work of surface modification are fully controlled. Features such as automatic regulation of the blast pressure, media flow sensing, media level sensing, automatic media replenishment and screen classification of the blasting grit are available to enhance the consistency of the surface finishing results.

 When the quality of surface preparation is considered critical and validation or documentation of process control is required, Guyson Corporation offers a SCADA controls package that can display, capture and record data on all blasting parameters throughout each blast cycle, providing an audit trail to verify conformity to specifications or process work instructions.

Prospective users of robotic grit-blasting or surface preparation systems are invited to submit sample components for free laboratory testing and application engineering evaluation at Guysons factory in northeastern New York State.

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CONGRATULATIONS TEAM 0xBE4 ON FIRST ROBOTICS REGIONALS!

Published by Guyson on March 10, 2011

FIRST Robotics Team 3044 from Ballston Spa High School made an excellent showing at the regional competition at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, March 10 through March 12, 2011.

Ballston Spa Robotics Team 0xBE4

FIRST Robotics Team 3044 one day before Regionals at WPI

Many weeks of planning, engineering  and team effort culminated in the excitement of the regional event held in Worcester, Massachusetts.  A total of 36 teams from around the northeast participated three days of intensive activity on the WPI campus. 

In the 2011 FIRST Robotics contest, Logo Motion, the robots built by the students had to grasp, elevate and maneuver three different geometric-shaped inflatable rings to place them on pegs. Team oxBE4 nicknamed their 2011 entry “Rosie,” and the design proved capable of performing the tasks required.

If you watched some of the regionals action in person or on the live web cam, the arena was noisy and congested, with six robotic devices going at once during the 11 qualifying rounds. There were times when Rosie and the robots from other teams moved with incredible efficiency in picking-up and placing the objects. At other points, the movement was not so elegant, and it was clear just how many different factors had to be synchronized for every successful step.

Guyson Corporation is one of the local sponsors of the Ballston group. We are very proud of the performance of Team 3044. Great job, team!

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ROBOTIC SHOT PEENER FOR TURBINE BLADE ROOTS

Published by Guyson on December 22, 2010

Guyson Corporation has engineered and built a 7-axis robotic blasting machine that is specially adapted for metallurgical shot peening of the root section of turbine blades. The Model RB-9 shot peener accommodates industrial gas turbine blades up to 36 inches in length and in excess of 100 pounds in weight.

RB-9 pressure-blast shot peening machine for turbine blade roots

A Guyson RB-9 robotic shot peening system with special adaptations for controlled metallurgical surface enhancement of turbine blade roots.

The 48 x 48 x 48-inch process enclosure of the RB-9 is sturdily fabricated in ¼ or ½-inch steel plate and is fully lined with bonded rubber sheeting for noise abatement and protection from the potential warping effects of continuous exposure to the high-velocity impact of the peening shot. An electrically operated jib hoist is mounted on the roof of the cabinet to facilitate safe and convenient loading and unloading of heavy components.

One wall of the blasting cabinet is made with a generous opening for installation of an industrial robot, such as a Fanuc M10iA, as a 6-axis peening nozzle manipulator. A custom-tailored laminated fabric “skirt” seals the chamber wall and isolates the arm from the harsh shot-blast environment. To precisely orient the turbine blade throughout the controlled impact treatment process, a powered turntable up to 42 inches in diameter is servomotor driven and synchronized as a seventh axis of coordinated robotic motion.

The shot delivery and reclamation systems of the RB-9 peening machine include special features to ensure a controlled and repeatable surface enhancement process. In addition to cyclone separation of dust or fine particles and vibratory screen classification to remove shot that is larger or smaller than the specified size, the engineered reclaim stack-up has a spiral separator to take non-spherical media out of circulation. Shot supply level sensors and automatic media replenishment are also provided.

An automatically recharged 6.5 cubic foot capacity pressure vessel is fitted with an electronic shot flow monitor and controller that continuously displays the calibrated, real-time shot flow rate in pounds or kilograms per minute at the human-machine interface (HMI), and if required, includes closed-loop controls to maintain the blast air pressure and shot flow at the specified levels. A package of SCADA controls is available to acquire and log data verifying all critical shot peening process parameters to comply with documentation requirements.

 Prospective users of robotic shot peening, blast finishing or surface preparation systems are encouraged to submit sample components for laboratory testing and application engineering evaluation at Guyson’s manufacturing and design center in northeastern New York State.

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TAX INCENTIVES ENACTED FOR 2011 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT INVESTMENTS

Published by Guyson on December 6, 2010

A component of the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, H.R. 5297, passed into law on Sept. 27, 2010, extends Section 179 expensing to machinery and equipment purchased and installed during the 2011 tax year.

The legislation is considered a big win for U.S. manufacturers, in part because it includes the extension through 2011 of the generous 2010 tax deduction for capital equipment purchases, but also because it reinforces the immediate stimulus to investment by offering bonus first-year depreciation.  Before the end of the 2010 legislative session, both of these incentives for capital equipment investment were enhanced for the 2011 tax year, with the allowable Section 179 expensing increased to $500,000 for equipment purchased and placed in service before December 31, 2011, and with first-year bonus depreciation increased to 100% on equipment purchases in the tax year 2011.

For an overview and illustrations of the advantages for manufacturers in Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code, visit www.section179.org or see the recap provided on the web site of the Association for Manufacturing Technology ( www.amtonline.org ). Consult your financial and tax advisors to discuss details of the impact of the legislation on your justification for the purchase of a Guyson manual, automated or robotic blast system in 2011.

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FUTURE ENGINEERS VISIT GUYSON

Published by Guyson on September 27, 2010

A group of high school seniors in the New Visions Engineering program toured Guyson’s Saratoga Springs factory and met with Alex Thomson, Engineering Manager.

Admission to New Visions is highly selective – students from 31 school districts in a 5-county BOCES region of northeastern New York State compete to participate in the academically rigorous year-long program. In addition to challenging class and laboratory projects, site visits like the one to Guyson enable the students to see first-hand the activities and responsibilities related to various engineering disciplines.

“These young people are impressive. They are focused, and they ask very good questions. I think it’s great that these students have the opportunity to explore the world of engineering before they get to college,” Mr. Thomson commented after hosting the group.

After spending an hour with Alex in the Engineering Department discussing the machine design process, how the work is organized and some of the tools of the trade, the group had an engineer’s-eye view of the automated and robotic blasting machinery in production on the manufacturing floor.

To learn more about BOCES educational opportunities and the New Visions Engineering program, visit the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services web site at http://www.wswheboces.org/CTE.cfm?subpage=119 .

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ROBOTIC SHOT PEENING SYSTEM

Published by Guyson on July 30, 2010

Guyson Corporation has introduced a 7-axis robotic pressure-blast shot peening system that is designed to support compliance with the most demanding process specifications and to enable automated peening of a wide variety of dissimilar components. The Model RB-10 was developed for technical surface treatment of gears and aerospace components.

7-axis robotic shot peening system for gears and aerospace components

The Guyson RB-10 Shot Peening System introduces a new dimension of flexibility in precision surface treatment to NADCAP quality standards.

The 60 x 60 x 60-inch blast cabinet is mated with a 6-axis robot, such as the Fanuc M10iA,
as a blast nozzle manipulator. The shot peening machine’s rotary table has a diameter of up
to 52 inches and is servomotor driven to be controlled as a seventh axis of robotic motion.
Locating hardware is provided to allow interchangeable component-holding fixtures to be
positively and repeatably positioned on the turntable.

During the shot peening cycle, the orientation of the component and the motion of the robotic
nozzle manipulator are synchronized to precisely replicate the programmed tool path,
following the contours of complex-shaped parts, yet constantly and accurately maintaining
the required angle of shot impingement, the correct offset of the peening nozzle from the
target surface and the right dwell or surface speed to control the cold working process.

The peening media delivery system includes an A.S.M.E.-certified pressure vessel of 3.5
cubic foot capacity fitted with high and low shot level sensors, a 3 cubic foot media storage
hopper that automatically adds shot when a low level is detected and, if required, an
electronic shot flow controller to continuously maintain the correct blast pressure and shot
flow rate specified for the shot peening process.

In addition to a cyclone separator for dust extraction, the shot reclamation system includes a
vibratory screen classifier to deliver only shot of the specified size, as well as a spiral
separator to remove any peening shot that is not perfectly spherical.

For metallurgical shot peening applications in accordance with S.A.E. aerospace peening
specification AMS 2432, Guyson offers a SCADA controls package combined with a custom-
designed touch screen human-machine interface (HMI) to enable data verifying all critical
process parameters throughout the shot peening procedure to be captured and logged for
documentation purposes.

Prospective users of robotic shot peening equipment are encouraged to submit sample components for
evaluation in the application engineering laboratory at Guyson’s design and manufacturing center in
northeastern New York State.

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GUYSON SARATOGA GETS A NEW SIGN

Published by Guyson on July 2, 2010

Visitors to Guyson’s Saratoga Springs, NY, Design and Manufacturing Center are now greeted by a brand new sign at the Grande Blvd. facilities.


Designed, fabricated and installed by Saratoga Sign Pros, Inc., the corporate identity marker is mounted on a steel post-and-frame structure built right in Guyson’s Welding Shop and given a glossy protective coating in our Paint Department. Other members of the Guyson team participated in the project, as well, first by removing the old sign and some over-grown shrubbery that stood by the roadside for over 20 years, then by installing the welded framework.

Steve Byrnes, President of Guyson Corporation, was the driving force behind the updated sign and led the group that worked with the sign maker in development of the design.

“After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that we wanted the new sign to reflect more of what the company is doing today, particularly the exciting developments at Guyson in the area of robotic blasting and shot peening,” Byrnes commented about the design project.

The sign company used up-to-date fabrication methods in execution of the design, not unlike some of the techniques employed by Guyson in manufacturing advanced blasting machinery. CAD/CAM software was employed to generate the program for automated milling of the three-dimensional sign board.

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GREENER IS ALSO BRIGHTER

Published by Guyson on May 10, 2010

The recent investment in new plant lighting in the manufacturing area of Guyson’s Saratoga Springs plant proved to be a very bright idea, all around.

BEFORE: Halide lights left some areas under-lit and had an energy footprint that was a little too 1980s.

One by one, down came the old metal halide lights that lit the main assembly area since our major plant expansion in 1988. The legacy fixtures always made a noticeable humming sound, took about five minutes to reach full brightness and cast a kind of orange-tinted glow, but the bigger issue was that several areas of Assembly and Electrical were a little dim and required auxiliary work lighting.

The new four-lamp T5 HO light fixtures have a large reflector that helps each one brilliantly illuminate a broader area, virtually eliminating dim zones and the need for extra work lights. The biggest benefit, however, is the dramatic difference in the efficiency of the new lighting.

AFTER: More energy-efficient lighting installed in 2010 also improves the quality of work lighting in Assembly, Electrical, Shipping and Receiving.

While the new lights installed in Phase One of the lighting upgrade represent a considerable investment, initial estimates indicate a significant decrease in our energy usage by 59,000 kWh per annum, for an annual savings on the electric utility bill of about $12,000!
 
Congratulations on a job well done to all who contributed to the 2010 lighting project.

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ROBOTIC BLAST MACHINE HAS TRANSFER CART

Published by Guyson on May 10, 2010

Guyson Corporation has introduced a robotic blasting system that incorporates a component-manipulating 6-axis robot and a shuttle transfer cart to fully automate processing of tray-loads of components. The new Model RB-TRR-900 is designed for precise surface preparation, shot peening and cosmetic finishing operations.

RB-TRR-900 blast machine processes a tray-load of components automatically

Guyson RB-TRR-900 has a shuttle cart to transfer a tray of components in and out of the blast chamber, combining the precision and repeatability of robotic blasting with the efficiency of batch treatment.

The robotic blast machine is provided with a single suction-blast gun or pressure-blast nozzle that is rigidly bracketed in a fixed position inside the 42 x 42 x 42-inch blast chamber. Guide rails form a track extension into an antechamber on one side of the blast cabinet. Rolling on the track, the transfer cart bearing a tray full of components is moved in and out of the blast enclosure by a precision linear actuator, and a pneumatically actuated vertical sliding door closes to isolate the load/unload station from the blasting zone.

A Fanuc M-10iA robot with a custom-engineered pneumatic gripper serves as a component handler in the automated blasting system, grasping and removing a part from the tray, presenting the component to the blast, then replacing the finished work piece. A tailored skirt seals the cabinet wall and protects the robot from the potentially abrasive environment of the blast chamber. Fanuc Robotics offers larger and smaller 6-axis robots that can be integrated in the RB-TRR-900, should a different payload or reach be required.

To blast a production lot of parts, a tray of oriented components, typically 6 to 24 in number, is placed on the transfer cart, the sliding load door is closed and a part identification number is entered or selected at the touch-screen control panel. Alternatively, component recognition features are available, including a bar code reader, to positively identify the work and prompt the recall of the correct motion program and blasting process recipe, with automatically controlled parameters such as blast pressure, media flow rate and the duration of the blast and blow-off cycles. While the robotic blast system methodically and identically repeats the surface treatment on each of the components in the batch, the human operator is freed for an extended period to perform other work.

The robotic component manipulator constantly and accurately maintains the specified blast angle, nozzle offset and surface speed, even when following the contours of complex-shaped aerospace or medical parts, which makes it possible to produce extremely consistent surface conditions and eliminate non-conformities in finish quality.

Prospective users of automated and robotic blasting systems are invited to submit sample components for free laboratory testing and application engineering evaluation at Guyson’s factory in northeastern New York State.

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