Burnishing Station

I designed a new workstation to burnish four motor valve seals simultaneously, cutting the time the process demanded. Working from feedback I gathered from the Motor Valves team, I built the station around a single goal: run all four seals at once without sacrificing quality. The result improved work efficiency and saved an estimated $9,000 with an initial build investment of $1,200.

On the mechanical side, I upgraded the original single burnisher concept from a ¼ hp to a ½ hp AC motor, which gave me the power to drive a four pulley system off a single shared belt so all four seals turn at the same speed. Each pulley rides on its own shaft, supported by two mounted bearings that keep it aligned and running true.

On the electrical side, power enters from a 115V AC outlet through a breaker for protection. Pressing the green start button triggers a timing relay that sets the run duration, energizing the contactor and sending power to the motor. When the timer reaches its set duration, it drops the coil, and the motor stops on its own. This allows an operator to load the seals, hit start, and walk away while the station completes a fixed burnishing cycle. The red stop button breaks the circuit anytime for a manual shutdown.

The project pushed me to combine mechanics and electronics in one build and to stay creative within hard design constraints. This was exactly the kind of problem where the right solution isn't obvious until you've talked to the people who run the part every day.