Prepared for Innovation and Invention
The Creation of an Industry
(A Brief History of Innovation)
Benjamin Chew Tilghman invented the sandblasting process in 1870 and filed a patent in the USA. In 1879 he formed "Tilghman's Patent Sand Blast Co." at Gray's Inn Road, London and later that year moved the company to Altrincham.
Louis D. Peik, of the American Foundry equipment Co., invented wheelblasting in 1925, with the patent of the Tumblast (R) machine. As the machine threw an abrasive by a wheel-like device, the term "Wheelabrator" was born. In 1933, the new Wheelabrator machines were launched with great success, and in 1935, Tilghman's in the UK started to build licensed Wheelabrator machines.
In 1945, American Foundry changed it's name to American Wheelabrator & Equipment Company, in 1966 it acquired 40% of Tilghman's, and the company became Tilghman Wheelabrator - which then became fully owned by American Wheelabrator in 1973.
Throughout it's history, Wheelabrator has continued to pioneer new techniques and technologies, continually striving to serve it's customers.
2010 Wheelabrator Remote Monitoring
2008 TITAN Turbine
2005 Wheelabrator Plus - the dedicated equipment support division of Wheelabrator, and the first of it's kind in the industry