Over 100 years of foundry expertise meets a consistent ESG strategy: Funosa is modernizing its plant and investing in a high-performance wire mesh continuous blasting system from Rösler. The RDGE 1250, specifically designed for heavy iron castings, combines maximum robustness, energy efficiency, and ease of maintenance – with a turbine power of 340 kW and intelligent safety features.
For over 100 years, Funosa has been a reliable supplier of cast iron parts, delivering medium and large series to a variety of industries. The company combines extensive technical expertise with a forward-looking approach to innovation and sustainability. For more than ten years, Funosa has invested significant energy and capital in modernizing its plant and thus its entire production. These investments are part of Funosa's broader ESG-oriented roadmap, focusing on energy efficiency, digitalization, and reducing the ecological footprint of foundry operations. For example, by investing in a new core shooting machine, which allows for the saving of around 53 tons of sand per year. The purchase of an extremely robust and simultaneously energy-efficient blasting system for desanding the cast products completes the modernization of the plant. For this, Funosa has made an investment with enormous savings potential and purchased a Rösler wire mesh continuous blasting system RDGE 1250 in foundry configuration. “For us, this step is another important commitment to the future. With the Rösler wire mesh continuous blasting system, we are replacing outdated technology from another provider and are opting for a more efficient, quieter, and safer system,” says Antonio Ortega, Technical Managing Director of Funosa.
Special solution for heavy parts
In the new Rösler system, predominantly flat but very heavy parts made of cast iron are processed, such as machine parts or truck triangular arms with a maximum part weight of 150 kilograms. This application required a reinforced conveyor belt, designed to maintain structural integrity throughout the blasting process and ensure the optimal impact angle of the abrasive as well as continuous operation. At the same time, it must generally be ensured that the belt can carry the high weight of the parts from the deflection roller. The Rösler wire mesh continuous blasting system achieves this through a special perforation of the deflection roller, which, in conjunction with a pneumatic design, ensures automatic belt tensioning and transports the conveyor belt with the workpieces through the system without slipping. This passes through the blasting chamber at a maximum speed of six meters per minute. Eight Rösler EVO42 turbines, equipped with throwing blades made of hardened tool steel, four of which are mounted above and four below the belt, precisely fling the abrasive onto the workpieces to ensure thorough surface cleaning of the cast parts. The turbines have a maximum total power of 340 KW and are equipped with vibration control.
Extremely robust blasting chamber
To withstand the extreme demands of everyday foundry operations and ensure the longevity of the blasting system, the RDGE is particularly robust and resilient for Funosa. The system consists of an extremely wear-resistant blasting chamber, which is not made of laminated normal steel but of 8 mm thick solid manganese steel. In the entire blasting area, additional 15 mm thick wear protection plates are installed, also made of manganese steel, laid in a roof tile principle and easily replaceable. In the hot-spot area of the turbines, the system has an additional special lining of 20 mm made of tool steel.
“With this system, we are providing Funosa not only with an extremely powerful and robust solution for desanding massive iron castings, but we have also focused on maintenance friendliness and safety,” explains Global Sales Expert Norman Peter from Rösler. “To maintain productivity, minimizing downtime during turbine maintenance is essential. This is supported by aids such as a bridge crane cart that allows for quick and safe replacement of the turbines, each weighing almost 300 kilograms.” Equipment features such as large maintenance and service platforms, which can be accessed by stairs instead of ladders, a safety contact bar to secure the unloading process during manual parts removal from the wire mesh, or a pallet storage area with safety sensors on the maintenance platform are additional features that enable more pleasant and safer working at the system.
Perfect complement to the machine park
“The Rösler system fits perfectly into our machine concept at Funosa. We are excited about the superior surface quality that we were able to achieve in the test processing and during the machine acceptance at Rösler, and we are looking forward to the first in-house tests with us after commissioning,” says Antonio Ortega from Funosa. “The collaboration with Rösler is a significant step forward, not only in terms of our pursuit of continuous improvements and more sustainability but also solidifies our position as a market leader in the areas of innovation and operational excellence.”
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