Farrar Corporation Installs CNDR Drum Blast: Reduces Maintenance and Downtime in Finishing

Grand Ledge, MI April 2013

Farrar Corp., an iron casting facility in Norwich, Kan., recently installed a drum blast machine from Roberts Sinto Corp., Grand Ledge, Michigan, to replace a conventional tumble blast unit.

Sintokogio, the parent company of Roberts Sinto, is introducing advanced designs and abrasive blats technology to the North American market. The first unit Roberts Sinto introduced with the Sinto Surface Treatment division is the CNDR Drum Blast. These models are capable of cleaning a broader range of castings, including small, thin parts. By design, they require significantly lower maintenance than conventional tumble-type blast machines.

Farrar’s CNDR-22 Drum Blast machine reportedly features smooth load/unload capabilities, highly efficient finishing due to oscillation during the blats cycle and a zero pinch design that virtually eliminates jams in the mill.

“The equipment it replaced was undersized and poorly constructed, which resulted in high maintenance costs and a lot of downtime,” said CEO and chairman Joe E. Farrar. Roberts Sinto helped Farrar’s staff through the initial startup of the automatic controls and the new equipment virtually eliminated downtime and maintenance issues. “We also have less part damage during shot blasting.”

Farrar specializes in ductile and austempered ductile iron (ADI) castings, providing full service casting design, patterns, CNC machining and milling. The plant currently is designed to handle up to 70 tons of melt per day in two shifts and is anticipating an expansion to 120 tons of melt per day on a two-shift basis.

“We pour ductile iron castings ranging in weight from 1 lb. to about 75 lbs. and everything goes through the same drum blats machine,” said Farrar. Production runs range from 100 to 100,000 castings.

The CNDR series features a hydraulic bucket loader, floor-mounted double-lip separator and a no-leak drum design. It can be configured with a 6, 10, 14 or 22 cu. ft. drum blast. It’s increased speed is due to an improved direct drive wheel.

The SST division also is bringing its complete line of spinner hanger monorail machines to the U.S. market. Like the CNDR series, they are designed for easy maintenance. Sinto shake blast continuous, in-line machines feature a mill with a unique shape, as well as strategically placed multiple lower power wheels to facilitate uniform cleaning and reduce casting damage during tumble.