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“Shot-blast machines are a feast for materials scientists”

The Wheelabrator test center in Metelen, Germany, is our global test bed for wheel technology. Every day, the team here runs tests for customers from all over the world – to validate and optimize blast processes well before they go live at customer facilities. Behind the doors of the in-house laboratory and on over a dozen test machines, the team advance the state of the art in blast wheel technology, quietly and methodically. At the beginning of the year, Christian Timmer arrived as the test center’s new head. We talked to him about the everyday life in the lab, a materials scientist’s take on shot-blasting, and Christian’s favorite topic: wear.

Christian, welcome to the wonderful world of shot blasting. You've been working at the epicenter of wheel blast innovation since the beginning of the year. What is your mission as our global tester-in-chief?

CT: We’re part of the technology center “Wheel”, which is very effective at advancing the state of the art in our field. My mission is to further elevate this. In German, we have a corresponding term that means “state of the science” – as in “reflective of the latest scientific insights”. I want us to close the gap between the state of the art and that “state of the science”. Wheelabrator already represents the science of shot-blasting like nobody else. We have access to so many customer challenges and interesting fields of research. A lot is already happening today and Wheelabrator colleagues around the world are researching intensively. But for me there is always more to explore. Especially from a materials science perspective.

What makes the shot-blast process so exciting for a materials scientist?

CT: For materials scientists like me, shot-blast machines are a real feast. The sheer range of materials and components that, quite literally, collide is enormous! When it comes to abrasive alone, there is everything from your standard metals, ceramics and plastics to the more exotic materials such as walnut shells.

Applications range from keying plastic surfaces and cleaning concrete to peening knee joints and descaling wire. The interaction between blast media, workpiece and machine components is incredibly exciting. In particular, I can't get enough of researching wear. And in shot-blasting, wear is particularly complex.

Christian Timmer | Wheelabrator

Do you have any special plans for wear research here at the test center?

CT: Big plans! Wear is one of the areas where we can make the biggest difference to our customers' success. And it's not just about ensuring that wear parts last longer, but about precisely controlling wear and its interactions with the abrasive. Ultimate stability and predictability is the goal. There is still so much to explore and so much to improve.

Where does this obsession with wear come from?

CT: During my university career, I frequently came across wear in shot-blasting and found it endlessly interesting – and under-examined. In practice, controlling wear is of course much more important and urgent than it is in science. Wheelabrator machines span so many different applications, operating environments and material combinations across a huge global installed base that we can make a really important contribution to wear research. This primarily benefits our customers, but it also pushes the boundaries of shot-blast technology overall.

Is that the appeal of heading up testing globally? The ability to advance wheelblast technology on behalf of machine users worldwide?

CT: The appeal of my role is the power to make technology a little better every day and never stop. We can and must question everything. It goes hand in hand with being a technology leader. We are expected to have the deepest understanding of the blast process, to always evidence our assumptions and to work to a high scientific standard. That’s both a huge responsibility and an exciting challenge.

What does that mean specifically for everyday life in the test center?

CT: It means we foster a highly motivated, problem-solving culture in order to achieve the best process performance for every customer. Our tests help our concept engineers find the optimal blast pattern for each customer application while our work with the development team answers fundamental questions about the physics of shot-blasting. Switching between routine tests for customers and foundational research is proving to be very fruitful.

In both cases, it’s important to question assumptions and always take a closer look. Everything about the blast process looks simple from the outside and is infinitely complex up close.

Does “taking a closer look” mean upgrading the laboratory equipment?

CT: Yes, I definitely want to further expand our analytical capabilities so that we can better examine the interactions between wear parts and materials. A microscope that can do more is definitely one investment I have set my sights on.

For example, with wear parts made of cast iron, there are huge differences in the wear behavior of parts made from the 'same' material. These differences are down to process parameters during casting. Through comparison tests, we can find out which parts perform better. Metallography tells us why.

 

“Our challenge to ourselves is to always look forward, find solutions, and leave nothing unexplored.”

What role does digital technology play in your research?

CT: Digital process data is playing an increasingly important role for us. While our Monitizer tools for blast processes are designed primarily to give customers rapid savings and quality improvements, the data they collect is precious. It allows us to work with the customer to analyze and optimize wear behavior inside the machine. This can have enormous positive benefits for maintenance costs and process stability.

Our challenge to ourselves is to always look forward, find solutions, and leave nothing unexplored. Digital data, metallography, systematic testing – it all helps us dive deeper, gain new insights more quickly and implement them directly for the benefit of the customer.

It is no coincidence that the test center is part of the Technology Center Wheel. Our findings are continually incorporated into our machines and our blast wheels. Since existing shot-blast equipment can be upgraded with new blast wheels at any time, the latest research is put into practice much faster than you think. There, it makes a real difference for customers. Being able to directly implement your own developments, apply your findings: I can't imagine anything more interesting and rewarding!

Christian, thank you for your time!

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