So there it is in all its glory—your wonderful scrubber brush machine.
I’ve been to nearly every mill in America—and I’ve seen some real works of art. But many scrubber brush machines I’ve seen have been a step above scrap metal, which is probably why they are hated so much. In most lines, scrubber brush machines were built as afterthoughts—add ons—and so not part of the original design. Unfortunately, that brings about one of those “you get what you pay for” situations, and people are often frustrated with the results. Mills are making do with what they have, but they aren’t necessarily working with an efficient scrubber brush machine that can pace with their demands.
But one thing almost all of these machines DO have in common is they are enclosed, making it impossible to see what is happening inside as the abrasive scrubber brushes are working. I say almost all, because I’ve seen designs that don’t have a frame enclosure around the brush machine shafts. Instead, curtains are mounted all around it. Great for maintenance, but you don't want to be around when these machines are running.
Even though we don’t often see what’s going on inside while the machine is working, we can gather good information about what’s happening by looking at the footprint the industrial scrubber brushes leave on the metal.
The footprint from industrial scrubber brushes tells us a few things. First, it informs us about the pressure on the flat metal strip. Second, it can tell us if the brush shaft is parallel to the back-up roll.
We’ll walk through how to “read” a footprint, but to get accurate results, this test has to be done with a brand-new brush. We need to know we’re working with an exact cylinder for the brush. The abrasive scrubber brush must be parallel to the back-up roll shafts in order to obtain optimum results. Otherwise we’ll end up with one very shinny side on our flat metal, and the other side won’t be as shiny—in fact, it may even remain dirty.
I’ve been to nearly every mill in America—and I’ve seen some real works of art. But many scrubber brush machines I’ve seen have been a step above scrap metal, which is probably why they are hated so much. In most lines, scrubber brush machines were built as afterthoughts—add ons—and so not part of the original design. Unfortunately, that brings about one of those “you get what you pay for” situations, and people are often frustrated with the results. Mills are making do with what they have, but they aren’t necessarily working with an efficient scrubber brush machine that can pace with their demands.
But one thing almost all of these machines DO have in common is they are enclosed, making it impossible to see what is happening inside as the abrasive scrubber brushes are working. I say almost all, because I’ve seen designs that don’t have a frame enclosure around the brush machine shafts. Instead, curtains are mounted all around it. Great for maintenance, but you don't want to be around when these machines are running.
Even though we don’t often see what’s going on inside while the machine is working, we can gather good information about what’s happening by looking at the footprint the industrial scrubber brushes leave on the metal.
The footprint from industrial scrubber brushes tells us a few things. First, it informs us about the pressure on the flat metal strip. Second, it can tell us if the brush shaft is parallel to the back-up roll.
We’ll walk through how to “read” a footprint, but to get accurate results, this test has to be done with a brand-new brush. We need to know we’re working with an exact cylinder for the brush. The abrasive scrubber brush must be parallel to the back-up roll shafts in order to obtain optimum results. Otherwise we’ll end up with one very shinny side on our flat metal, and the other side won’t be as shiny—in fact, it may even remain dirty.
Let’s evaluate the footprint:
- Make sure the flat metal strip or sheet is stationary. Now, bring the scrubber brush rolls into contact with your set points. (Your set points are the kW reading you programmed that tell your scrubber brush machine to search for and maintain to achieve the ideal amount of pressure. These set-points were determined when you calibrated your scrubber brushes. Learn how to calibrate abrasive scrubber brushes here.
- With the strip or sheet stationary, turn the scrubber brush machine on. Let it run for 3-5 seconds.
- Now, take the brushes off the strip so they are no longer making contact.
- Finally, jog the flat metal strip forward and use the graph below as a reference.
If the footprint is less than 3mm (1/8”), the pressure is too light.
If the brush footprint is more than 12mm (1/2”), the pressure is too heavy.
If the brush footprint is more than 12mm (1/2”), the pressure is too heavy.
Please note, the measurements on this graph are for a brand-new scrubber brush with a 12” diameter. Normal uniform width should be 6-9mm (1/4” - 3/8”
The footprint may also reveal the abrasive scrubber brush is worn in the center. We call this the “apple core affect.”
Most facilities use a “coffin schedule” for strip width they are running, which means the widest strips are brushed first and brushing continues until the narrowest strips. Eventually, this produces shiny edges and a dirty middle on the metal. It also risks prematurely wearing out the back-up rolls. Every type of industrial brush will eventually experience the “apple core” effect, and it will need to be taken out and dressed. “Dressing a brush” simply means bringing a brush back to a cylinder again or cutting the shoulders of the brush off so the cylinder is symmetrical as it was the day it arrived.
Fortunately we now build our scrubber brush machines with automatic dressing capabilities. Yup! That’s right folks. Constantly changing brushes is a thing of the past, and when you do have to change the brush, you can get it done in as little as 30 minutes! Our machines automatically calculate all the pressure measuring and footprint analysis for you--without ever having to change the brush. Please give us a call to inquire about this new state-of-the-art technology.
For those of you who need to keep working the machines you currently have, we have developed innovate scrubber brush designs, along with in-field brush dressing tools and tactics to allow this to be a much quicker and easier process then it has been in the past. These tools can help you get more life from your brushes—and most can be done at your facility, making it convenient to fix problems with the footprint without needing to send your abrasive scrubber brushes out for dressing.
If you think you’re stuck with a 12” diameter brush, I’ve got great news: our R&D team has designed flap brush, non-woven, (“Scotch Brite™-type”) brushes to last as long as bristle brushes AND they deliver a more intense cleaning process. Clear translation, keep it 12” but have the brush clean 10x better. You can’t make this stuff up--give me a call at 816-382-9150 and let’s talk about it!
Most facilities use a “coffin schedule” for strip width they are running, which means the widest strips are brushed first and brushing continues until the narrowest strips. Eventually, this produces shiny edges and a dirty middle on the metal. It also risks prematurely wearing out the back-up rolls. Every type of industrial brush will eventually experience the “apple core” effect, and it will need to be taken out and dressed. “Dressing a brush” simply means bringing a brush back to a cylinder again or cutting the shoulders of the brush off so the cylinder is symmetrical as it was the day it arrived.
Fortunately we now build our scrubber brush machines with automatic dressing capabilities. Yup! That’s right folks. Constantly changing brushes is a thing of the past, and when you do have to change the brush, you can get it done in as little as 30 minutes! Our machines automatically calculate all the pressure measuring and footprint analysis for you--without ever having to change the brush. Please give us a call to inquire about this new state-of-the-art technology.
For those of you who need to keep working the machines you currently have, we have developed innovate scrubber brush designs, along with in-field brush dressing tools and tactics to allow this to be a much quicker and easier process then it has been in the past. These tools can help you get more life from your brushes—and most can be done at your facility, making it convenient to fix problems with the footprint without needing to send your abrasive scrubber brushes out for dressing.
If you think you’re stuck with a 12” diameter brush, I’ve got great news: our R&D team has designed flap brush, non-woven, (“Scotch Brite™-type”) brushes to last as long as bristle brushes AND they deliver a more intense cleaning process. Clear translation, keep it 12” but have the brush clean 10x better. You can’t make this stuff up--give me a call at 816-382-9150 and let’s talk about it!
