An industry-first bulk laser cleaning machine is already processing up to half a tonne of parts per hour, just two months after its introduction – while reducing carbon emissions by around a third.
Earlier this year Wolverhampton Electro Plating (WEP), part of the Anochrome Group, became the first industrial user in the world to invest in groundbreaking new laser technology for cleaning and pre-treatment of nuts, bolts and parts.
Delighted leaders at WEP have revealed that capacity has already been ramped up to around 500kg an hour just two months after its introduction – with plans to push on to 600kg in the coming months.
The SLCR Lasertechnik LAMA™ machine effectively cleans nuts, bolts and parts prior to coating without the need for any water, chemicals or shotblasting. It is used specifically for WEP’s zinc flake dip-spin operations at its Wolverhampton facilities.
Denis Rainbird, General Manager at WEP, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcomes from the opening two months of using the SLCR Lasertechnik LAMA™ having been the first adopter of the technology.
“Our target was to gradually increase capacity up to 500kg parts per hour and we have been able to do that very seamlessly.
“The main benefit of this ground-breaking laser technology is the huge environmental benefits by eliminating water and chemicals. Meanwhile, the cleaning process is simplified from multiple steps to just one.”
All parts need to be thoroughly cleaned before they are coated by dip-spin to ensure they are completely free of contaminants. Usually this is achieved by utilising large quantities of water, chemistry and energy.
Laser cleaning reduces WEP’s carbon footprint by more than 35% in comparison with traditional techniques and saves tens of thousands of cubic litres of water over a year.
Denis added: “The bedding in process has gone exceptionally well and we are already seeing the very real benefits laser cleaning can bring both to our business and our customers by reducing carbon throughout the supply chain.”
The purchase of the LAMA machine follows other recent investments at WEP, including the introduction of a fourth dip-spin line last year.
WEP offers a comprehensive and diverse range of metal finishing and corrosion protection coatings and services. As well as dip-spin, the business offers barrel zinc and zinc nickel electroplating, as well as mechanical barrel plating of zinc, tin zinc and Almac.