Guyson Corporation expanded its engineering test laboratory with the purchase of a robotic blast system to sustain application development work on customers' automated blasting projects and Guyson's contract finishing and surface preparation services.

"The investment, together with our advanced CAD/CAM-based software for off-line robot motion programming, will extend our lead in supplying engineered-to-order robotic blast systems to manufacturers of medical, aerospace and other components that require the highest degree of precision and repeatability in surface treatment," said Steve Byrnes, president of Guyson, to employees while unveiling the equipment.

The robot blasting cell enables the test lab to perform on-demand demonstrations of robotic surface finishing and shot peening processes. The programmed process routine for a particular component can be stored, recalled and repeated precisely anytime. A rotary table pressure-blast cabinet and a six-axis robot that manipulates the blast nozzle make up the system. The blasting cell constantly maintains a specified offset, angle of impingement and surface speed while following contours of complex-shaped components.

Guyson is making the cell available for certain contract finishing work, and the company hopes it will promote process development in partnership with customers. "Many of our customers are in regulated industries or have rigid quality systems requirements; for example, shot peening of aerospace components to stringent specifications such as AMS-2432 to meet NADCAP AC-7117 audit criteria, or medical components processed in accordance with FDA guidelines in an ISO-13485 certified operation," says Steve Donohue, vice president of sales and marketing. "A fully functioning robotic blasting cell enables us to assist our partners with blast process validation, the elimination of non-conformities and the achievement of repeatable Six Sigma quality."