Steel Mill Blower Coated for Efficiency and Build-Up Resistance

Client: Steel Manufacturing ClientIndustry: Steel / Fans, Blowers & Compressors

Challenge

A steel manufacturer's large blower rotor ran in a dirty, moisture-laden gas stream. Bare steel surfaces on the shroud, back plate, and blade passages collected deposits, and as material built up the gas path roughened, airflow dropped, and the rotor moved out of balance. Cleaning cycles came around often, efficiency drifted down between them, and the accumulating imbalance added vibration load on bearings and seals.

Belzona Solution

Rumford Industrial Group specified a hydrophobic coating program to be carried out with the rotor out of service. All surfaces were grit blasted back to clean metal with a sound angular profile, then coated with Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide) — a gray base coat first, followed by a blue top coat so full coverage is visually verifiable. Shroud, back plate, blades, and internal gas-path surfaces were all coated, with the shaft and hub masked off, and the rotor was returned to the mill for reassembly and balancing.

Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide)

Result

The blower went back into service with a smooth, hydrophobic, low-friction surface in place of bare steel. Deposits have far less to grip, so build-up and the imbalance it causes are reduced, cleaning intervals stretch out, and the smoother gas path helps recover and hold aerodynamic efficiency. The same coating also shields the rotor from erosion-corrosion in the moist, particulate-laden stream.

Project Photos

Before: bare blower rotor as received, with uncoated steel shroud, back plate, and blade passages.

Before: side view showing the internal gas-path surfaces where deposits accumulate.

Before: rotor blasted back to clean metal with a sound angular profile, ready to coat.

First coat: gray base coat of Belzona 1341 (Supermetalglide) applied to the shroud face.

First coat: base coat continued across the back plate and blade passages, with the shaft masked off.

First coat: inlet side coated, showing full coverage through the blade passages and around the hub.

After: blue top coat complete — a smooth, hydrophobic Supermetalglide surface over every gas-path area.

After: finished rotor ready to return to the mill for reassembly and balancing.