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in Vol. 27 - May Issue - Year 2026
Engineering the Next Generation of Drum Blast Systems and Work Handling Systems
BCT Drum Blast Systems
Eliminating Pinch Points and Reduces Parts Damage
Wheel Maintenance
Work-handling systems engineered for real production demands
Accumulation conveyor with gate and indexing weigh feeders
Vibratory Feeder with actuated gates for feeding loaders
Two way conveyors and sorting tables
Powered rotary tables for parts sorting and handling
Safety and access panels
For more than a century, the historic Allis Chalmers industrial complex in West Allis, Wisconsin, served as the foundation for some of America’s most influential engineering breakthroughs. Today, BCT is carrying that legacy forward, transforming this iconic site into North America’s most advanced and vertically integrated manufacturing facility for Drum Blast and Automated Batch Handling Systems.
With more than 80 drum blast installations serving over 60 customers across the foundry, metal casting, forging, heavy industrial, and manufacturing sectors, BCT has quickly become one of the most trusted names in drum blast systems engineering. This growth is fueled by BCT’s commitment to innovation, scalability, system durability, and the deep integration of manufacturing and engineering functions located in West Allis, Wisconsin.
The facility has a rare combination of physical scale, infrastructure strength, and industrial capability. The 150,000-square-foot facility features 55-foot assembly heights, multiple high bays, nine overhead cranes, twelve jib cranes, and full fabrication and machining resources capable of handling large weldments and oversized equipment assemblies.
One of the foundational strengths of BCT’s drum blast offering is its ability to design and build equipment at virtually any scale—supporting customers of all sizes and all levels of basic or expanded automated high-production systems.
BCT Drum Blast Systems range in size from 6 cubic ft. – 45 cubic ft. and are designed for batch blasting operations. Each system is constructed from high-grade, wear-resistant materials and designed to last – wear surfaces are made from AR steel, and any surface seeing abrasive impact is made from manganese. The cabinet and drum are designed to blast parts at varying speeds and angles, enabling the systems to clean even the most difficult parts, matching part geometries, production volumes, and process requirements.
Eliminating Pinch Points and Reducing Parts Damage
BCT’s drum blast systems incorporate several engineering enhancements designed to reduce maintenance, extend system life, and improve blast consistency.
Advanced drum blast design features include:
• 3/8” carbon steel, structurally reinforced, welded construction blast cabinet. The cabinet pivots on a full-width steel shaft and spherical bearings, with dual hydraulic cylinders tilting the cabinet to unload parts, allowing varying blast angles during the machine cycle. Industry-exclusive magnetic shaft seal design.
• One-piece fabricated manganese drum with customizable tumbling ridges and center pyramid – this creates a bi-directional tumbling action to promote aggressive tumbling of parts.
• One-piece manganese door with mechanical labyrinth seals for shot retention.
• Proprietary drum weldment and drive arrangement
• Allen-Bradley® CompactLogix™ PLC and HMI
• M3A TwistLOK™ e-Wheel™ direct mounted to door, with man-access step platform for wheel maintenance. The blast wheel is outfitted with WaveBlade™ Technology and features a direct-drive motor.
• Heavy-duty elevator with crowned pulleys for optimal belt tracking
• Air-wash or magnetic separation system with automated sensing system to ensure a consistent curtain. Top- or floor-mounted systems based on headroom clearance, with stairway access.
• Auger or shaker reclaim
The system is designed to be fed by a dual-stage, hydraulically operated pivot loader (2-stage and 3-stage systems) with integrated safety guarding. BCT’s hydraulic loading systems support a wide range of load configurations, including bins, baskets, tubs, and custom totes. With load capacities up to 10,000 pounds, depending on models, these systems provide consistent, safe, and repeatable batch loading.
Where BCT truly differentiates itself is in the ability to engineer fully integrated work-handling systems that match production flow, part geometry, and facility layout. These systems are designed to eliminate bottlenecks and improve throughput. This includes automated or semi-automated load and unload systems, conveyors, sorting tables, indexing systems, and material-handling automation.
BCT consistently engineers fully integrated work-handling solutions specifically for shot blasting applications. Our systems are built to withstand continuous operation in harsh environments, manage a broad range of part configurations, and integrate seamlessly with existing plant layouts. Every system is mechanically designed and manufactured to meet the production demands that customers are facing today.
We understand that every production facility is different. Variations in floor space, ceiling height, traffic flow, product mix, and legacy issues require engineered, non-standard solutions. BCT’s engineering team designs facility-specific handling systems that accommodate:
• Floor space limitations with tight corridors
• Low headroom or interfering building structural steel
• Multi-level mezzanines and elevation changes
• Legacy building issues or downstream equipment issues
• Existing part flow constraints
Rather than forcing a standard configuration into a constrained plant, BCT models the customer’s layout and designs the handling system to fit the facility. This ensures optimal operator access, safe serviceability, and consistent feed rates to the drum blast system.
Many drum blast processes require precise batch sizing to maintain cleaning uniformity and ensure predictable cycle times. BCT integrates indexing weigh feeders equipped with:
• High-accuracy load cells
• Real-time weight monitoring
• Automated recipe communication with the PLC
• Batch-to-batch repeatability for consistent loading
Proven Work-Handling System Designs
Below are several engineered work-handling configurations developed by BCT over the last several years. Each design is tailored to heavy industrial environments and validated through extended field operation. The ability to design around customer constraints ensures the drum blast system fits seamlessly into existing production environments.
For processes requiring precise batch sizing, BCT integrates indexing weigh feeders capable of real-time load measurement. These systems communicate directly with the PLC and can automatically adjust recipes or trigger downstream processing.
This system offers a single-stage hydraulic dumping system with an extreme-duty impact zone shaker. An indexing weigh feeder accumulates parts until a target batch weight is reached for the blast cycle, then indexes forward to transfer the batch into the hydraulic bucket loader. This two-stage hydraulic loader tips up and over the unload conveyor to transfer the batch of parts into the drum machine.
Two-way vibratory conveyors for blast unloading, sorting, and conveying
BCT designs and builds vibratory unload conveyors, two-way conveyors, multi-directional conveyors, transfer cars, and sorting tables. These systems support high-throughput workflows, reduce manual handling, and provide operators with consistent part flow from blast to inspection.
In-house electrical engineering, automation, and control systems are key to integrating the Drum Blast Systems with the proper work handling system. The engineering team is an Allen-Bradley Gold Member, and all automation packages are designed, wired, and programmed in-house. This allows the team to integrate:
• Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLCs
• 12” HMIs with real-time data visualization
• Automated abrasive level sensing
• Dust collector static pressure monitoring
• Blade wear tracking and maintenance logs
• Recipe selection and repeatability
By engineering both the mechanical and electrical systems, this ensures complete communication across hydraulic, mechanical, and automation subsystems.
BCT is committed to keeping safety our first priority in all system designs. Equipment is designed and manufactured to meet North American industrial specifications. Safety items include integrated safety doors and access covers, OSHA-compliant designs, stairway access, integrated service platforms for servicing blast wheels, safety interlocks, e-stops throughout the machine, safety fencing, light curtains, and area scanners, all available as options.
The OSHA-compliant guarding, operator platforms, and service-access points allow for fast maintenance and improved operator safety.
In-house electrical engineering, automation, and control systems are key to our Drum Blast Systems. The engineering team is an Allen-Bradley Gold Member, and all automation packages are designed, wired, and programmed in-house. This allows the team to integrate:
• Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLCs
• 12” HMIs with real-time data visualization
• Automated abrasive level sensing
• Dust collector static pressure monitoring
• Blade wear tracking and maintenance logs
• Recipe selection and repeatability
By engineering both the mechanical and electrical systems, this ensures complete communication across hydraulic, mechanical, and automation subsystems.
For Information:
Blast Cleaning Technologies
6682 W. Greenfield Ave.,
West Allis, WI 53214, USA
Tel. +1.262.785.7577
E-mail: sales@bct-us.com
www.bct-us.com
