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in Vol. 27 - January Issue - Year 2026
Lower Shot Blast Running Costs — Instantly
The ATLAS Command system reduces abrasive consumption in typical foundry blast processes by at least 20%
The new wear parts system can be used on existing ATLAS 70x500 / U70x500 blast wheels without any modifications
In the Spotlight
Wheelabrator is a global leader in surface preparation technology. Headquartered in the UK and part of Norican, it offers high-performance shot blasting, air blasting, and peening solutions for the foundry, automotive, aerospace, energy, and other major industries. With over 100 years of innovation and a presence in 100 countries, Wheelabrator delivers custom-engineered systems, services, and upgrades that reduce energy consumption and minimize total cost of ownership.
The new ATLAS Command wear parts from Wheelabrator reduce abrasive consumption on foundry blast wheels by up to 40%.
Wheelabrator has launched ATLAS Command, a blast wheel wear parts system that reduces shot blast running costs from the inside—without requiring any upgrades to wheels or machines.
Designed to seamlessly drop into existing ATLAS (formerly Universal/“U”) blast wheels, the ATLAS Command system addresses one of the biggest cost drivers in foundry shot blast operations: abrasive consumption.
The ATLAS Command system is initially available for the popular ATLAS 70x500 (U70x500) wheel (foundry version).
Christian Timmer, Head of Testing at the Technology Center Wheel at Wheelabrator, explains:
“Foundry blast wheels throw hundreds of kilograms of abrasive per minute at castings—with the wear and energy use to match. Annual running costs are huge. And while parts and maintenance costs are perhaps the most visible, abrasive consumption (next to energy use) represents one of the two major chunks of blast wheel running costs. Bringing it down delivers serious savings. With ATLAS Command, foundries can now dramatically cut abrasive consumption through a simple wear parts change.”
Abrasive Consumption Down by Up to 40%
ATLAS Command wear parts work together to reduce abrasive breakdown and to focus more energy on blasting rather than wear. The blades, impeller, and control cage feature new designs optimized as a system through rigorous testing. The result: reductions in abrasive consumption of at least 20% and up to 40% for a typical foundry blast process using round steel shot.
Thanks to a new manufacturing process for the blades, the wear parts in the ATLAS Command system have extended and synchronized operating lives. This means they can be replaced less frequently and all at the same time, streamlining maintenance and reducing the number of parts purchases per year. Combined with lower abrasive consumption, this delivers a total savings of 15–35% on parts and abrasive alone.
Real Results in Real Foundries
The ATLAS Command system has been proven not only in the test center but also in real foundry environments at pilot customer sites.
At a foundry in Germany, ATLAS Command systems were installed on a CT (Continuous Tumblast) machine equipped with four 37 kW ATLAS 70 blast wheels. Abrasive consumption dropped by 20%, representing an annual saving of nearly €70,000.
At another CT machine in a Spanish foundry, four 55 kW ATLAS 70 blast wheels were upgraded with ATLAS Command parts, reducing annual abrasive consumption by 14.5 tons per blast wheel—amounting to a total cost saving of approximately €80,000 on abrasive alone.
Running Costs Under the Microscope
The ATLAS Command system is part of a strategic effort at Wheelabrator to reduce running costs through wear parts innovation. Wheelabrator’s Technology Center in Metelen, Germany, has recently invested in expanded laboratory and testing capabilities to bring new wear parts for its wheel portfolio to market more quickly.
Magdalene Höltke, Senior Vice President Global Wheel at Wheelabrator, explains:
“Especially in foundries, running costs and the efficient use of resources are under the microscope. While new machines or equipment upgrades can certainly deliver step changes in cost performance, they require capital investment and usually involve disruption to operations.
“That’s why taking a ‘total cost of ownership’ view of wheel blasting—and then lowering costs from the inside, with every wear parts change—is such a smart move. Alongside digital monitoring, deploying wear parts that tackle your main cost drivers is the fastest and most immediate way to slash the total cost of your blast process.”
ATLAS Command is initially available for ATLAS 70 / U70x500 foundry blast wheels. The system is offered as a wear-life-synchronized kit comprising the core hot parts, which are replaced at the same time to minimize disruption. The kit is available in both clockwise and counterclockwise versions.
The thinking behind ATLAS Command is already being applied to wear parts across other wheels in the Wheelabrator portfolio, alongside additional components designed to extend maintenance intervals and reduce energy consumption.
For Information:
Wheelabrator Group GmbH
Industriestraße 55 48629 Metelen, Germany
Tel. +49.2556.880
E-mail: kontakt@wheelabratorgroup.de
www.wheelabratorgroup.com
