Proof in practice: bringing blasting and painting into one workflow
A major equipment maintenance business faced a practical production problem. It could refurbish smaller items at its Merseyside facility, but larger equipment had to be sent to outside subcontractors.
A major contract involving the refurbishment of larger equipment, including scissor lifts, waste compactors, catering equipment and refrigeration units, created the need for greater in-house capability.
Rather than treating surface preparation and painting as two separate equipment purchases, the solution was designed as one connected process.
The installation combined:
- an industrial blast room
- direct-pressure blast cleaning equipment
- reverse-pulse dust extraction
- abrasive recovery and recycling
- a two-tonne overhead component-handling system
- an open-fronted dry-filter spray booth
Components could be moved through the blast room for surface preparation and then onwards to the painting area using the same overhead handling system.
Within the blast process, chilled iron abrasive provided the cleaning action required for painted and corroded equipment. Spent media was recovered, cleaned and separated, with reusable abrasive automatically returned to the blast machine.
The commercial result was more important than the individual equipment specification.
The business could now refurbish larger items economically and efficiently in-house, without increasing manpower and without relying on subcontractors for that work.
That is what considering surface preparation and coating as one process can achieve. The blast system prepares the surface required by the coating stage, while handling, recovery, extraction and painting equipment are designed around the same production requirement.
SurfacePrep can help you look at the complete route from incoming component to prepared, coated product, rather than specifying each stage in isolation.
See the full integrated preparation and painting installation. →
