29.07.2025
International
Fudike, an iron foundry based in Ibarra, Northern Spain, has upgraded its hanger-type shot blast machine to Titan 15 Smart blast wheels from Wheelabrator. A full blast cycle now takes 5 minutes instead of 11, and the team are getting 2300 blasting hours out of a single set of wheel blades – more than triple the blade life of the previous wheels.
Fudike specializes in brake discs for railway applications, which are desanded and cleaned in a 1985 hanger-type machine with three indirect-drive 11kW blast wheels. Unhappy with its 670 blasting hours of wear parts life and 11-minute blast cycle, the team was looking for an upgrade that would significantly improve both – unlocking extra production capacity and savings on running costs.
Francisco Lusinchi, Equipment Modernization expert at Wheelabrator in Spain, explains: “The Fudike team quickly zeroed in on our Titan 15 Smart wheel, a direct drive blast wheel with cast wear parts for lighter-duty foundry applications - that is, for motor powers under 22kW. Most of our customers want us to carry out the upgrades, but the team at Fudike really know their stuff. They wanted to do the conversion, but they also wanted to test it first. So they bought one TITAN 15 Smart from us and installed it themselves – no mean feat, considering they were converting from indirect to direct drive.”
Trial run with instant impact
The Fudike team quickly saw the impact of the upgrade. Even with just one blast wheel converted to Titan 15 Smart, the cycle time dropped from 11 to 8 minutes. Backed by this immediate result, Fudike bought and installed the remaining two blast wheels and has been running with the upgraded set-up since February 2024. Not only can the machine now run more than three times longer without exchanging the blades, when they do need changing, it only takes 30 minutes per wheel instead of an hour.
Juan Martija, in charge of maintenance at Fudike, summarizes the impact: “Together with the much faster blast cycles, the new blast wheels have delivered a complete step change in performance for our shot blast operations. The additional headroom in capacity it’s giving us is one thing – we can double production or be done in half the time. But it’s the impact on running costs that is truly incredible. The fast cycles mean we’re running the machine less than half the time for the same output. And yet the parts give us triple the blasting hours. The new blast wheels have long paid for themselves.”
The short payback period associated with this blast wheel upgrade illustrates their substantial role in the overall operating costs of wheelblast systems. Recent developments in blast wheel technology have focused on optimizing both performance and cost-efficiency, with an emphasis on adapting to specific application requirements and operational environments. One result of this approach is the Titan15 Smart blast wheel, developed for use in foundry environments but also suitable for lighter-duty applications. The design prioritizes durability and ease of maintenance, aiming to reduce downtime and ongoing maintenance requirements.
Photos: Wheelabrator