Custom Stainless Steel Baskets for Spin Drying

Many manufacturers have to contend with issues in drying out their parts after an aqueous or chemical-intensive washing process. While some parts can be dried off simply by letting them sit out in the open for a few hours, this isn’t always a viable option. If left for too long, chemical residue can ruin a part’s finish or even cause damage to the part (and the basket holding the part).

One solution is to oven-dry parts using high temperatures to evaporate leftover liquids and leave the parts moisture-free. However, this can cause some chemicals to crystallize on the part’s surface, leading to the same problems as air-drying. To overcome this issue, many manufacturers are turning to spin drying processes.

In a spin-drying process, parts are rotated at high speeds so they experience centrifugal force. This causes loose objects (such as any liquids on the part) to be pushed toward the outside edge of the part and separate from the part itself. This helps to remove any and all liquids while minimizing leftover residue.

However, to hold the parts safely inside the spin-drying machine, manufacturers need a specialized dryer basket. Marlin Steel has made many custom stainless steel baskets for use with spin-drying equipment over the years.

What Makes for a Good Spin-Dryer Basket?

While the exact shape, size, and features of a custom stainless steel basket for spin drying can change depending on the particulars of a client’s spin-drying process, some common features of a high-quality spin-dryer basket include:

• High Sides. Many of the spin-dryer baskets Marlin has made over the years have high sides to keep parts from flying out of the basket during a spin cycle.
• Open Space. Most of the custom stainless steel baskets that Marlin makes for spin-drying processes are made of rugged steel wires and feature plenty of open space. This lets liquids flow freely off of parts and lets air in—helping parts dry faster and more thoroughly.
• Handles. Many spin-dryer baskets feature an easy-to-grasp handle to let workers easily move the basket into and out of the spin dryer. Not a necessity for the drying process, but it makes life easier (and work faster) for employees.
• Counterbalance. To ensure smooth spinning, a counterbalance is often added to the basket. This helps reduce wear and tear on both the basket and the spin-drying machine.
• Heavy Duty Construction. The centripetal forces and pressure of parts being flung against the walls of the basket can place a high degree of stress on a spin dryer basket’s frame. To counter this, Marlin’s custom spin-dryer baskets are designed with tough wires and 1/4” thick crossbars and frames. These thicker-gauge wires are then securely welded in place to maximize the basket’s overall structural integrity.

One of the biggest variables in these custom basket designs is whether they’re made with wire mesh or perforated sheet metal. Wire mesh is generally optimal for parts drying processes, whereas perforated metal sides are more suitable for chip wringing processes (such as removing coolant from pieces of scrap metal that are going to be recycled).

Additionally, some of the above elements may need to be changed depending on the client’s needs. For example, the size and shape of the handle may change depending on how the client is moving the basket from one process to the next. Also, the height of the basket’s sides may be altered if a lid is added. The open space between wires or size of perforations also may be adjusted to keep tiny parts from falling out of the basket.

Many of Marlin’s custom stainless steel baskets for spin-drying machines are optimized to fit Models K-11 Spin Dryers and K-11C Chip Wringers. However, given enough details, a custom spin dryer basket can be made to work with any model of spin-drying machine.

Need a custom spin dryer basket for your parts manufacturing or scrap metal recycling process? Contact the experts at Marlin Steel to get a custom basket quote today!