Baron Industries Purchases SNTX-III Table Blast for Shot Blasting
In September 2020, Baron Industries, located in Madison Heights, Michigan, purchased an SNTX-III Table Blast machine. Baron is an impregnation service provider (sealing castings, electronics, and powder metal parts for pressure retention in the field), primarily servicing the automotive market due to their geographic location. Baron also serves the other markets such as construction/agriculture, military, aerospace, marine, plumbing, alternative energy and general industry.
The SNTX-III machine was Baron’s first Sinto purchase. The machine was purchased for a specific program for a customer transitioning business from Japan to the US market. Baron’s customer was using this exact SNTX-III unit in Japan and wanted to duplicate the production process as closely as possible.
The SNTX table blast system has a two-wheel design, which provides superior coverage of parts during the blasting process. The unique 3-position turntable indexes to front, center and rear of the blast pattern to provide varying blast projection angles during the blasting process. This feature significantly reduces the need to reposition parts halfway through the cycle and provides an overall better cleaning operation.
Baron was made aware by their customer (servicing a major Automotive OEM in Japan) about the shot blasting requirement and the Sinto name was given. Sinto confirmed that this same unit could be manufactured and supported here in the US and decided to move forward with the purchase and integration. The machine is being used to prepare the powder metal parts after the impregnation process of sealing is completed by Baron to retain consistency with supply coming from Japan. The shot blasting is in place to remove any imperfections that may be introduced during the sealing process.
Baron started production on this machine in November 2022. Previously, before the SNTX-III was installed, Baron did not have the capability to shot blast parts. The purchase of this unit allowed Baron to secure the current business and properly support their customer’s demanding schedule by not having to outsource this work.
When asked about the machine, Kevin Roslinski (Director of Development, Baron Industries) stated, “This machine has been durable and reliable. The operation and programming is simple and straightforward, so we have been able to train a dozen or more operators to run this particular machine. The technical support has made it easy for us to continue to operate without any significant down time. We would recommend Sinto to anyone who was looking into taking on a shot blasting program or any services focused around shot blasting. This positive experience will make taking on new and different processes into our service centers in the future an easier decision going forward especially if focused around shot blasting.”
Over the last year and a half, Baron has had no issues with the table blast unit. The machine is performing as it is supposed to and therefore not creating any unexpected or unscheduled scrap. Baron commented it has been beneficial for them to not have to adjust or modify equipment once installed and operating.
When asked about the project, Charlie Gorman (VP, Sinto America Sinto Surface Treatment) commented that, “While we knew this model was suitable for the application in terms of production capacity, the use of high hardness grit did cause some concern due to the higher than normal part wear associated with HG products. The fact that maintenance has been manageable is a testament that this equipment can handle the most difficult and aggressive applications.”
The Sinto America team is excited to see Baron’s growth in the shot blasting industry and is thankful for their confidence in their Sinto equipment.