Pangborn Rebuilds Abrasive System to Double Production and Cut Maintenance

Restoring shot blast throughput without full equipment replacement.

How Pangborn rebuilds manufacturing company’s abrasive handling system to double production and reduce maintenance.

As production demands increased, the customer’s existing abrasive handling system began impacting performance. Design constraints and inefficient separation disrupted abrasive flow, reduced blast efficiency, and led to higher maintenance demands.
Instead of replacing the entire blast machine, the manufacturing company looked for a smarter way to fix what was actually causing the problem.

They partnered with Pangborn to:

• Eliminate abrasive pile-ups caused by an undersized elevator
• Improve separation to keep flashing and debris out of the abrasive
• Improve production rates
• Extend the life of critical blast components
• Reduce maintenance time and operating costs
• Deliver clean, consistent abrasive to the blast process

A smarter rebuild – not a full replacement

Pangborn focused on the areas that mattered most: how abrasive moves, how it’s cleaned, and how consistently it flows through the system. The goal was simple—fix the inefficiencies and stabilize performance.

The rebuild included:

• A redesigned Pangborn elevator to move abrasive more efficiently
• A high-performance separator and scalping drum to remove flashing and foreign material
• Bin modifications and automatic curtain control to maintain steady abrasive flow

Together, these updates delivered cleaner abrasive, smoother operation, and more reliable output, even under demanding production conditions.

Real improvements. Real results.

Once the system upgrade was up and running, the impact was clear. Better abrasive quality and more consistent flow translated directly into higher throughput and less time spent on maintenance.

The results:

• Production rates doubled, enabling throughput to required levels
• Maintenance costs dropped, thanks to cleaner abrasive and reduced wear
• Blast consistency and overall system reliability improved

Delivering long-term value through targeted modernization

By addressing abrasive handling issues at their source, Pangborn helped the manufacturing company regain lost production capacity without the cost or disruption of a full replacement. The rebuild delivered lasting improvements in performance and reliability, proving that the right upgrades can improve production rates, increase efficiency, and lower operating costs.