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Wheelabrator® Railcar Blasting Systems

Product News Wednesday, April 15, 2009: Wheelabrator

Wheelabrator® technology continues to play an important role in increasing productivity in the new and refurbished railcar industry. Manual Airblast and Autoblast® airless blasting systems clean the inside and outside surface of railcars.

With a long history of performance, these Wheelabrator blast cleaning systems continually enter the marketplace. Repeat purchases by leading rail companies are quite common. End users have come to count on the quality of this system, in particular the combination of manual airblasting alongside the airless blasting process.

The Autoblast Railcar Cleaning System features a host of benefits that contribute to the machine’s competitive advantage. Railcars ready for blast cleaning enter an automated railcar conveyor system, and move through the airless blast zone where oscillating wheel pods (wheels mounted on panels) provide uniform blast coverage. Depending on the customer’s requirements, a set of 10 or 12 EZEFIT® direct drive wheels (12 bladed featuring TargetLok® control cage positioning) propel the media at the work. Gear motor screw conveyor drives with rugged hanger bearings guarantee maximum uptime and reduced maintenance for the media reclaim system.

A compensating flow air wash separator to remove contaminants and full floor reclaim hoppers to collect the media for recycling are strong selling features of this system. Access catwalks for manual blasting, swing out lights for bulb replacement and lens cleaning contribute to the ease of the airblast operator’s work. The growing railroad industry blast cleaning processes are dependent on cost effective manual and automated blast cleaning to ensure a quality finish on their products.

Wheelabrator Group is a global provider of surface preparation and finishing solutions. Committed to offering the broadest array of technologies, products, services and technical know-how, the Wheelabrator Group works closely with customers to deliver the best solutions for their specific requirements. The company's strategically located and electronically linked offices allow Wheelabrator Group to provide unrivalled customer service and support worldwide.