Control Instruments (CI)-Gabriel, a leading manufacturer of ride control products, faced challenges with an ineffective industrial washing system. By utilizing Flownex® Simulation Environment, an international team of engineering students redesigned the washing machine to ensure tubular parts were properly cleaned of contaminants before painting and assembly. |
CUSTOMER PROFILE
CI-Gabriel manufactures, distributes, and supplies the automotive market with ride control products, including:
Shock absorbers.
Struts.
Gas springs.
The company produces approximately 10,000 units daily to meet both industrial and aftermarket demand in Southern Africa.
CHALLENGE
During manufacturing, tubular parts undergo machining and welding. These components must be cleaned to remove dirt, loose metal pieces, and contaminants. The existing washing machines were failing to remove these contaminants sufficiently, leading to several issues:
Quality Risks: Residual contaminants could lead to rejected components after assembly.
Resource Waste: Potential loss of income and wasted raw materials.
Inefficiency: High water and chemical consumption with poor spray coverage (only ~28%).
SOLUTION
A team from the Global Engineering Teams (GET) academic initiative was tasked with designing a new inline automated washing machine. The team consisted of six members from South Africa, Germany, and Brazil.
SYSTEM DESIGN AND SIMULATION
The proposed design used a mesh of pipes with spray nozzles and a high-pressure pump system. To validate the design, the team used Flownex® to:
Simulate Cyclic Operation: The machine operates on a 36-second cycle; an accumulator is charged for 18 seconds and discharges for 18 seconds to allow for a smaller pump.
Optimize Nozzle Placement: Using the "Designer" feature to ensure even flow distribution.
Calculate Fluid Dynamics: Precisely determining mass flow rates and pressures at the nozzles without tedious manual calculations.
RESULTS AND BENEFITS
The use of Flownex® allowed the team to compare the new system's performance against the old one during the design phase, making changes more affordable.
KEY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Coverage: Increased from ~28% to 86% direct spray coverage.
Impact Force: The water's impact force increased 2.87 times.
Efficiency: While the instantaneous water flow rate increased by 6%, total consumption decreased due to shorter cycle times.
Optimum Operating Point: Determined to be 6.2 L/min per nozzle at 60 bar.
CONCLUSION
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Through simulation, the team ensured the final design performed satisfactorily, meeting all client specifications while realizing significant industrial improvements.