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       Wheelabrator’s new ATLAS Command wear parts reduce abrasive consumption in cast shot blast wheels by up to 40%.
       Wheelabrator has launched the ATLAS Command system, designed to reduce grinding wheel wear, allowing you to lower your shot blasting operating costs without the need for grinding wheel or machine upgrades.
       The ATLAS Command system is designed to easily install onto existing ATLAS (formerly Universal/“U”) blast wheels, solving one of the major cost issues in the casting blasting process: abrasive consumption.
       The ATLAS control system was originally developed for the popular ATLAS 70×500 (U70x500) wheels (cast version).
       Christian Timmer, Head of Grinding Wheel Testing at the Wheelabrator Technical Center, explains: “Cast blast wheels blast castings with hundreds of kilograms of abrasive every minute, which causes wear and energy consumption. Annual operating costs are very high. While spare parts and maintenance costs may be the most obvious, abrasive consumption (the second most significant component after energy consumption) is one of the two main components of blast wheel operating costs. Reducing abrasive consumption can significantly reduce costs. With the ATLAS Command system, foundries can now dramatically reduce abrasive consumption simply by replacing wear parts.”
       The ATLAS Command system’s wear-resistant components work together to reduce abrasive wear and concentrate more energy on the blasting process, further reducing wear. The blades, impeller, and control housing feature a completely new design and have been optimized as a single system through rigorous testing. This results in a reduction in abrasive consumption of at least 20%, and up to 40% for typical foundry blasting processes using round steel shot.
       Thanks to a new blade manufacturing process, the service life of consumables in the ATLAS control system is extended and synchronized. This means replacement frequency can be reduced, and all consumables can be replaced simultaneously, simplifying maintenance and reducing annual spare parts costs. Combined with reduced abrasive costs, savings can range from 15% to 35% on spare parts and abrasives alone.
       The ATLAS Command system has been tested not only in the test center, but also in real-life foundry conditions at pilot customers.
       A German foundry implemented the ATLAS Command system on a continuous-flow (CT) shot peening machine equipped with four ATLAS 70 blast wheels, each with a power output of 37 kW. Abrasive consumption was reduced by 20% (equivalent to savings of nearly €70,000 per year).
       In another CT installation, four 55 kW ATLAS 70 blast wheels at a Spanish foundry were replaced with ATLAS Command parts, reducing abrasive consumption by 14.5 tons per wheel per year and saving approximately €80,000 on abrasive alone.
       The ATLAS Command system is part of Wheelabrator’s strategy to reduce operating costs through wear part innovation. Wheelabrator’s technology center in Mettler, Germany, recently invested in expanding its laboratories and testing facilities to accelerate the market introduction of new wear parts for its fleet.
       Magdalena Höltke, Senior Vice President of Wheelabrator Global Wheels, explained: “Operating costs and efficient resource utilization are especially important in foundries. While new machines or equipment upgrades will certainly lead to significant cost efficiency gains, they require capital investment and typically entail operational disruptions.”
       ”Therefore, it makes perfect sense to consider the sandblasting process from a total cost of ownership perspective and reduce costs through internal consumable replacement. In addition to digital monitoring, using consumables that can reduce the main cost drivers is the fastest and most direct way to significantly reduce the overall cost of the sandblasting process.”
       The ATLAS Command system was originally developed for the ATLAS 70/U70x500 shot peening wheels. Supplied as a wear and life synchronization kit, it includes the main components while hot, allowing for simultaneous replacement of all parts, minimizing production interruptions. The kit is available in both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation.
       The concept behind the ATLAS Command system has been applied to wear parts on other wheels in the Wheelabrator product range, as well as to components that extend maintenance intervals and reduce energy consumption.