Using the Long-Reach Lite Scraper For Removing Rubber Floor Deposits - Goodyear Tire

In tire manufacturing, plant maintenance can be a real headache. In this case, Goodyear's tire manufacturing lead to a large buildup of rubber that needed to be removed from plant floors in order to keep production going. Goodyear had tried manual processes, but they were time consuming, ineffective and laborious. Fortunately, the long-reach light chisel scraper was perfect for the job and allowed Goodyear to quickly remove rubber buildup while minimizing the impact to production.

Goodyear Tire

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in Akron, OH in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Since that time, Goodyear has grown to be one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world. Goodyear has been known for many accomplishments, including developing the first tubeless tire, supplying tires used on the Model T, building fighter planes in World War II, and even developing the first tires used on the moon.

But Goodyear is more than just the company. Goodyear is named after the inventor of vulcanized rubber, Charles Goodyear. In 1839, Mr. Goodyear accidentally discovered the vulcanization process which allows rubber to be more durable, dramatically increasing versatility. Without this accidental discovery where would the tire, the car and many other industries be today?
 

The Challenge: Efficient Removal of Rubber Deposits

Goodyear tires are durable and built to last. The rubber polymers used in the tires are meant to last tens of thousands of miles driving on asphalt and other coarse terrain. This durability is great – until that same rubber starts to coat the floors of a factory.

During manufacturing, machine processing lead to a large build-up of rubber on the manufacturing floor. Goodyear was using manual methods to remove this buildup, but this mitigation was slow, ineffective and labor intensive. Not only time consuming, cleanup also greatly reduced manufacturing productivity.

The Solution: Long-Reach Lite Chisel Scraper

The long-reach lite chisel scraper (P/N 136.3697) made simple work of the job. At 2200 blows per minute, with a wide range of scraping and chisel accessories, the long-reach lite scraper provided fast rubber removal. Utilizing this tool cut maintenance time to a fraction of the manual process. At only 4.5 CFM air consumption, the plant maintence crew could easily run multiple long-reach scraper units with a small compressor, increasing removal rate at minimal cost. 

6-Foot Long-Reach Lite Scraper (P/N 136.3697) Long-Reach Scrapers are available in 2', 4', 5', 6' models. Heavy & Lite Models Available 14 Head attachments available for Scraping, Chipping & Descaling

The 4" and 12" beveled scraper blade attachments (P/N 431.3904 and P/N 431.3912) were able to easily cut through the rubber buildup without harming the floor underneath. The variety of attachments available for the long-reach also increased the versatility of the tool, as smaller attachments were available for smaller, irregular flooring areas (tiles, etc.), while larger blades were used in open flooring areas. 

12" Wide Beveled Scraper Assembly (P/N 431.3912) Beveled Scraper Blades Pack of 4 (P/N 439.3522)	4" Wide Beveled Scraper Assembly (P/N 431.3904) Beveled Scraper Blades Pack of 4 (P/N 439.3524)

 

Before	Progress	Final Result

The Result: Increased Productivy & Reduced Fatigue

The long-reach lite has changed the way the Goodyear plant maintenance team works. Rubber buildup is no longer viewed as the headache that it once was. Because of this, the plant is able to increase productivity… and profitability!

Using the long-reach lite models also reduced the fatigue of plant personnel and decreased the risk of overuse injuries.

The next time you see the Goodyear Blimp, you can think about the small part the long-reach scraper has played in helping the rubber meet the road!

Learn more about the tools in this article: Long-Reach Scraper & Attachments