Air knife Coating Control Systems and Baffle Beams
TSW Engineers Ltd specialises in the manufacture of Air-knife Coating Control Systems and associated baffle plate/beam units.
Primarily used in the galvanising of strip steels on continuous coil to coil hot dip galvanising lines, air-knife systems are used to focus a high speed low pressure blade of air on to the surface of post hot dip galvanised strip. The blade of air effectively washes the excess molten zinc from the surface of the strip allowing accurate coating weight thickness to be achieved. This enables producers to achieve an even coating thickness and as the excess material is returned to the molten zinc pot reduces waste and improves quality.
Baffle Beams are used to prevent the coating being washed by the air-knives over the edge of the strip, screening the two opposing “blades” of air and preventing edge build up. The system is fully automated and adjusts for varying line speeds and strip width / thickness.
TSW Engineers Ltd, formerly Technico (Wirral) Ltd, were at the forefront of airknife and baffle beam development in the 1970’s initially having developed a system for use at British Steel Corporation (Corus UK Ltd). Systems have now been supplied to galvanizing plants around the world including Demirsac Galvaniz in Turkey and Gonvauto -Gonvarri in Barcelona, Spain.