Empire Abrasive Equipment Co.

Consolidate all Systems in One Enclosure Move Easily between Work Areas Hook Up with Only Two Connections Empire ProFormer™ cabinets put it all together in a single assembly that's easy to move and simple to hook up. These cabinets require only two connections, air and electrical, and include features offered in our high production Pro-Finish® line. Plus, they come in two sizes: the 3642 with interior working dimensions of 36 inches deep by 42 inches wide by 48 inches high and its bigger brother, the 4652, with working space of 46 inches by 52 inches by 48 inches. Both include a tunable media reclaimer, capable of recycling a variety of abrasives, and a cartridge-type dust collector, monitored by a minihelic gauge, contained in the same enclosure as the cabinet, along with all electrical and pneumatic interconnections between components. Forklift slots are also provided, making these units easy to move between work stations. The dust-collector filtration system is designed for easy maintenance. Filters can be pulse-cleaned with the press of a button. When filters need replacement, they can be changed quickly and cleanly with a twist of two nuts. The filters slide into the cabinet where any loose dust falls into the cabinet, not onto the work floor. Designed for production blasting, these versatile cabinets enable you to perform multiple tasks. You can clean or peen and perform almost any finishing job in between by simply varying air pressure and blast media. These rugged cabinets can be specified with either suction- or pressure-blast systems and a wide range of standard factory options.

Econo-Blast portables are compact pressure blasters that share many features with their big brother, SuperBlast. Available in three sizes with grit capacities of 1, 1.5 and 3 cubic feet, these portables include ASME vessel certification for safety, flexible air hose for ease of maintenance, wheels for portability and a pressure gauge. Less grit capacity and smaller nozzles make these units ideal for spot blasting and detail work, particularly on a limited budget. Larger Econo-Blast models can be equipped with Empire's patented Sure-Flo grit valve and 680 or 780 remote controls, described on page 9, for safety. With these controls, blasting stops when the nozzle is released. Complete packages are available to protect the operator from blasting and potentially hazardous dust per OSHA requirements. Further, these packages include all the blasting equipment and accessories necessary to get you up and running safely.

At Empire we begin with building the finest blast and recovery systems and integrate robots to them. Since 1987 Empire Abrasive Equipment has successfully integrated commercially available robots into a variety of pre-engineered robotic blast cells, customized robotic blast systems and robotic blast rooms. Our goal is to consistently deliver customers with robot blasting technologies that enable efficient, quiet and clean robotic blasting solutions for surface preparation and peening applications. Empire is a Fanuc Authorized Integrator, Kuka Official System Partner, ABB Robotics Authorized Partner, Yaskawa Motoman Strategic Partner, and Robotmaster CADCAM software integrator. Working together with our strategic partners we provide integrated robotic air-blast solutions for aerospace, transport, energy, gas & Oil, high technology, military, medical and industrial consumer manufacturing markets. To meet evolving requirements and challenges our growing portfolio of robotic blast system optional features include: servo controlled auxiliary axis, vision systems, off-line programming, coordinated part manipulation, end-effectors for part manipulation, custom part fixturing, unified HMI controls for data collection, RFIDBarcode scanners, Laser Scanners, Ethernet communication, IOT capable remote access routers for data collection and monitoring.

Indexing Turntable systems have been a staple in the manufacturing industry for many years. An indexing turntable provides precise positioning of the work piece in front of blasting nozzles for guaranteed repeatability of process requirements. These units allow for a variety of loading and unloading options, ranging from simple manual operation to more sophisticated robotic operations. Empire offers a variety of standard platforms along with custom systems to accomodate almost any size work piece. Depending on customers production requirements, configurations can range from 2 -24 rotating part stations. Along with precise positioning of the indexing turntable, the rotating part stations add to the assurance of quality and complete part coverage during the blasting cycle. These systems also allow for a variety of nozzle manipulation packages ranging from simple stationary nozzles, horizontalvertical linear operations to more sophisticated robotic movement.

Empire has specialized in shot peen equipment for close to 50 years. Though the visual appeal of a shot peening machine is very similar to a conventional ‘blast cleaning’ machine, the process is quite different. Shot peening is all about controlling the process of blasting. Shot peening is driven, protected and monitored by audits and specifications. Conformance to such audits and specifications is the only way one can achieve repeatable, accurate and consistent peening results. At the core of all blasting processes is the concept of transferring impact energy on to the component being processed. In shot peening, we monitor and control this impact energy by its major constituents – air pressure, media flow rate, constant media size, media shape and several other parameters. Empire offers a variety of platforms to meet any customers part configurations and specifications.

As with other Empire Abrasive automation systems, In-Line blast systems are available in a variety of configurations. Final design being influenced by part size, weight, shape and material handling requirements. These systems can be as simple as a flat belt, split belts, or a roller type while more sophisticated systems are built with horizontal or vertical pinch belts. Nozzle manipulation is also a large portion of what defines the function of our In-Line systems. This can be just simple fixed guns, both horizontal and vertical nozzle oscillation, rotary heads, robotic manipulation or a combination of any of theses types. No matter what your application demands, Empire can custom engineer a system to fit your process and production requirements.

Empire’s Pre-Engineered Blast Booths (PEB) feature all the essentials for OSHA complaint blast rooms at a fraction of the cost. For many applications, requiring strict environmental and safety compliance, Empire’s PEB booths offer an attractive alternative to makeshift enclosures or higher priced custom blast rooms. After choosing your PEB size you can then choose from a list of standard booth options, dust collection systems, blast and recovery systems along with operator safety equipment. Because these systems are pre-engineered, they can ship in 6-8 weeks, almost half the time of a custom engineered system. See below for pictures and additional information.

Empire offers turntable and in-line machines for continuous processing. These systems can be loaded and unloaded manually, equipped with robotic arms or designed as an integral part of the production line. Our continuous turntable machines come in four standard models with table diameters ranging from 36 inches up to 108 inches. Larger units are available with two rotary blast heads. The heads can be oriented to perform separate functions, such as blasting the interior and exterior of parts at the same time. Standard features include a rubber cabinet lining and a urethane coating on the turntable for extended service life.

Our batch processing systems, which include both continuous and indexing turntable machines, are ideal for parts requiring long blast cycles. In the typical work scenario, the operator loads work pieces onto the turntable, sets the timer, starts the machine and returns when the cycle is completed. By adding a blowoff manifold and timer, which automatically remove residual material from the part and turntable, the operator is freed from the often dusty task of manual blow-off. Empire's PF-4848-RS with a 36-inch turntable, our PF-6060-RS with a 48-inch turntable and the PF- 7272-RS with a 60-inch turntable feature rotating blast guns that assure even coverage. Blast-head and tablerotation speeds are both variable to meet a wide range of production requirements. Rotary blast heads for these machines are available with four, six or nine blast guns.

Empire's single-station cell machines serve as just one example of how we meet the ever-changing demands of manufacturers worldwide. Our cell machines reduce inventory requirements and conserve floor space, giving many customers the winning edge in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.