Heavy-duty cylinder withstands harsh environment

Beaverton, OR -The Anthony Ross Co., a manufacturer of port cleaning equipment used on boilers, is using new heavy-duty pneumatic cylinders that help boiler operators in the pulp and paper industry achieve greater boiler efficiency. The cylinders remove the build-up of hardened black liquor that forms in and around the boiler's combustion-air ports.

"We had tried using other cylinders, but the lubricants would bake out due to the boiler's heat," says Ken Pingel, senior engineer, product development at Anthony Ross Co. "These new cylinders use no lubricants, which helped eliminate our main problem," says Pingel. He also indicates the cylinders withstand the corrosive gases, chemicals, and steam of papermaking.

The cylinders from Cascade Precision (Boring, OR) withstand continuous temperatures up to 450F. The cylinder used at the Anthony Ross Co. has a stainless steel barrel and uses Teflon on both dynamic and static wearing surfaces, says Dave Neketin, the cylinder's designer.

The cylinders have chrome-plated stainless steel rods and mixtures of carbon fiber, graphite, and Teflon in other cylinder components. Applications include aluminum and steel mills, forestry, packaging, and marine products.