Customer Background
The customer is a manufacturer of precision aluminum engine components for a major automobile manufacturer. They produce pistons, cylinder heads, water passages, lower blocks, knuckles, and transfer cases.
Challenge
The customer needed a parts washing system to remove coolant from varying sizes of aluminum pistons at a rate of 10 seconds per part. The pistons were to be cleaned in process while being carried on a palletized conveyor system. Parts also needed to be 100% dry upon exiting the parts washer.
Solution
Alliance provided an Aquamaster CC-1200E dual chain industrial parts washer with wash, rinse, and heated blowoff modules, designed for cleaning palletized parts. The system was designed to integrate with a single-strand flex tabletop chain conveyor. Parts are positioned on a pallet and are shuttled to various manufacturing cells for a different machining operations. A handshake interface automatically transfers the soiled pallet and part onto the Alliance conveyor system for cleaning. Palletized conveyor systems are typically a tabletop style conveyor that is not suited for travel through a washing station. The conveyor in the Alliance pallet cleaning system is designed specifically for handling the wash solution. This system effectively contains the water, which minimizes drag-out and directs the fluid for proper filtering and recirculation. Product guides within the cleaning system keep the pallets centered as they are washed and dried. A customer-specified paint color was included.