TABLE OF CONTENTS Normally, mass finishing is performed in an area designed to accommodate water sprays and water removal. These areas, often on raised grate floors, can be as small as 15 ftX15 ft. While there is no need for floors to be wet, any time water is handled some will end up on the floor. Therefore, suitable advanced planning is necessary for safety, appearance, and control of wastes. Dry operations do not require drains, grates, and related items, but they may need exhaust systems and the means to keep media off the floor to prevent workers from slipping on dry granules.
Some vibratory deburring machines are designed to be portable to roll up to automatic screw machines, lathes, sheet metal, or other operations. These portable machines need to have smooth floors on which to roll around. Locating deburring machines in the immediate vicinity of the production machine provides immediate feedback to the machine operator when burrs become too large to remove. In addition, it provides total cell operation for faster product flow.
The "rock room," as mass finishing areas are often called, must be planned for efficiency as well as safety. Layout includes:
floor layout
overhead layout
utilities (might be called "vertical layout")
sludge retention area
sewer lines and subsequent treatment if required and, if necessary,
special rooms to control noise, water, or other issues.
Correct floor layout requires an engineer to have complete knowledge of all equipment that will be used initially, as well as plant growth needs.
