Full overview
Client Profile
| Industry |
Precision Engineering & Stainless-Steel Fabrication |
| Company Size |
Mid to Large Enterprise (600+ employees) |
| Location |
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Operational Context |
The client is engaged in manufacturing ultra-high precision stainless steel components for food processing machinery, pharmaceutical equipment, as well as the finest architectural hardware. |
Business Challenge
The client was in a dilemma to create a uniform, high-grade surface finish on stainless steel and aluminium components after machining and welding. Their current surface treatment operation was based on the use of steel shots and angular abrasives, which brought about several problems:
- Low Aesthetic Finish: Excessive surface roughness and micro-scratches were the main issues caused by the use of angular abrasives; as a result, the surface was dull and uneven instead of having the smooth, glossy finish that was the goal.
- Rework & Manual Polishing: Nearly 30–35% of the parts were subjected to manual buffing and polishing, thereby increasing the cycle time and labour dependency.
- Surface Damage Risk: Aggressive media sometimes change sharp edges and tight-tolerance features, thus leading to dimensional inconsistencies.
- High Consumable Costs: Regular media breakdown caused the production of a lot of dust, faster machine wear, and increased maintenance costs.
- Customer Complaints: The final customers wrote about the inconsistent visual quality of different batches, thus affecting the brand perception.
Solution Implemented
After studying component geometry, material grades, and the final appearance requirements, we decided to change the blasting media to Glass Beads, with process optimization backing this change.
Exact Solution:
- High-quality spherical glass beads (Grade: 100–200 microns) for peening and stainless steel & aluminium uniform, high-grade surface finishing.
Main Customizations & Process Adjustments:
- Refined air pressure and blast angle to achieve a surface peening effect rather than cutting.
- Using media flow to give a uniform satin-shiny finish without any material removal.
- Adjusted the blasting cycle time depending on the component thickness and the finish requirement.
Application Objectives:
- Surface cleaning
- Removal of heat tint and very light surface defects
- The creation of a smooth, bright, and visually attractive finish suitable for both hygienic and decorative purposes
Implementation Process
Timeline: 4 weeks from trial validation to full-scale implementation.
Deployment Steps:
- Week 1: Sample trials conducted on customer components using different Airo Shot Blast Equipments sizes and pressures.
- Week 2: Finalization of media grade, blasting parameters, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Week 3: Bulk supply of glass beads and modification of blast machine settings.
- Week 4: Operator training and stabilization of the production process.
Training:
Operators and quality engineers were trained on correct media handling, contamination control, and finish inspection to maintain consistency across batches.
Results & Impact
The changeover to glass beads resulted in instant and quantifiable differentiations in the quality, as well as the productivity, of the products:
- Finishing Quality: Obtained a homogeneous, smooth, and glossy surface with a fine cosmetic look.
- Rework Removal: The requirement for manual polishing and buffing was cut down by over 70%.
- Process Continuity: The variation in the finish from batch to batch was almost eliminated.
- Less Wear & Dust: Wear on the machine was lower, and the operating environment was cleaner due to minimal breakdown of the media.
- Customer Satisfaction: No finish-related complaints were recorded during the six months after the change.
ROI & Business Benefits
- Consumable Cost Optimization: Longer media life of the disc versus other angular abrasives brings down the media blasting cost in total.
- Labour Savings: Cutting down the reliance on highly skilled polishers has led to better utilization of the workforce.
- Faster Throughput: Increasing the production by about 25% daily through shorter finishing cycles.
- Payback Period: Fewer than 9 months, largely a result of reduced rework, lower consumable usage, and increased productivity.
Why the Client Chose This Company
The client chose us as their solution partner because of our:
- Application-Focused Expertise: Powerful knowledge of abrasive nature and surface finish requirements.
- Trial-Based Recommendation: Media choice was confirmed by actual component trials, not by guesswork.
- Quality Media Supply: Uniform, contamination-free glass beads always gave the same results.
- Process Support: Continuous technical assistance for parameter adjustment whenever new components were introduced.
