Case Study: Success in Simplicity

It’s hard to convince the next generation of skilled workers that manufacturing isn’t a dark, dirty, dangerous job if a company is using its workforce to sweep and shovel material into drums and manually lift heavy loads just to perform machine maintenance. So how do manufacturers avoid this situation? One way is to look for the simple solution. In this case study, Cinbro found such a solution in a heavy-duty, 15-hp 1020MFS vacuum from Vac-U-Max.

Cinbro moves structural steel beams via a conveyor system through a cabinet-style blast machine where steel beads called “shot” remove rust and mill scale in preparation for welding or painting. Once the steel shot hits the beam, it drops down into an auger system that reclaims and feeds the material back into the blast machine for reuse. However, this process is taxing on machinery and inherent breakdowns occur.

Before purchasing the vacuum, it would take two men eight hours to remove the shot media for maintenance. Now, one man can empty the pit using the portable vacuum in just three hours. In addition to reducing the risk of injuries, the vacuum has proved to be helpful in daily maintenance and cleanliness of the areas around the machine, reducing unscheduled maintenance and providing a much more pleasant work environment.