Instead
of depending on available airflow to drive the mechanical separation process
of an air precleaner and thus adding to the restriction of the system, Sy-Klone
International introduced the Gideon system at the 2000 SAE International Off-Highway
& Powerplant Congress & Expedition. The system delivers atmospheric
precleaning while adding no additional restriction. A fan assembly draws debris-laden
air into the Gideon system. The debris is then radially accelerated and centrifugal
forces act on the debris, discharging it out of the ejection ports and back
into the atmosphere.
Sy-Klone's Gideon cab precleaning system depends on available airflow to drive the mechancial separation process.
| 1. Inlet - directs the incoming debris-laden air into the primary ejector chamber. | 5. Primary ejector chamber - directs debris-laden air into the fan assembly and starts centrifugal separation by causing the air to rotate. Debris particles are accelerated outward by the centrifugal forces. |
| 2. Compression/motor-mount assembly - provides the final stage of particle separation by compressing the volume of the airflow, increasing the air velocity and centrifugal force acting on the airborne particles. The assembly also provides mechanical mounting support for the fan/ motor linkage. | 6. Secondary ejector chamber - directs the stratified debris to the secondary ejector port. |
| 3. Fan - provides the next stage of particle separation by increasing the rotational velocity and centrifugal force of the incoming air particles. This forces the finer debris to move outward with the more massive debris. | 7. Primary ejector port - ejects massive debris particles accelerated in the primary ejector chamber back into the environment. |
| 4. Outlet - directs the cleansed air on to the air filter media. | 8. Secondary ejector port - ejects remaining separated debris back into the environment. |
According to Sy-Klone, the benefits of the new system exceed simply extending air filter life. It is now possible to maintain cab pressurization over hundreds of additional operating hours. All outside air entering the cab first passes through the Gideon and the air filter, maintaining HVAC performance in all weather conditions. The company claims that as the cab begins to age and leaks form around doors and other sealing surfaces, the air supplied by the Gideon will maintain pressurization, forcing air out of the seal leaks, ensuring cleanliness and suitable sound levels longer than cabs without the technology.
The Gideon precleaning system is engineered and sized to maintain a slight pressure on the downstream filter media; therefore, it does not suffer performance losses associated with cyclic airflow demands as do atmospheric precleaners. Sy-Klone quotes that Gideon provides full-time precleaning in the over 90% range, as tested in accordance with the SAE J726 air cleaner test code.
Thierica's compact, automated high-efficiency coating and drying system was designed to accommodate a two-stage coating application process in a 3.4 x 3.4 m (11 x 11 ft) footprint. The modular and mobile Thierica design features a dual temperature-controlled, two-zone oven that wraps around the outside of the spray booth section of the machine, helping to promote optimum flash and adhesion without the need for separate spray booth heaters.
The system uses a compact Stäubli robot that can be programmed for a range of spray application tasks. The combination of programming flexibility and unit modularity will, according to Thierica, enable companies to reassemble components into a new work cell when required. The spray booth also recirculates 60% of the air. This, together with the low amount of overspray from the robot, results in an increased reduction in VOC emissions and smaller required incinerator capacity.
Thierica's
new mobile coating and drying system is currently used on parts to apply a primer
coat followed by a topcoat of adhesive.
The new system is currently being used to apply a primer coat to parts, followed
by a topcoat of adhesive. Parts are loaded onto a chain conveyor and indexed
into the first oven zone for preheating. The parts are then indexed into the
spray booth, in which the primer is applied, followed by a 15-s delay, then
the topcoat of adhesive. An infrared sensor monitors the parts to ensure optimum
temperature. The parts are then indexed into the second oven zone for post heating
to cure the adhesive topcoat. The Stäubli spray robot is designed for indexed
applications that contribute to reduced material consumption and less system
downtime for maintenance as compared to a fixed line with 6 to 10 spray guns.
