Innovation in steel preservation

• Introduction

• Conventional Gritblasting

• Grit recycling

• Dust free blasting

• Benefits of dust free blasting

• Horizontal surfaces

• Vertical surfaces

Introduction

As one of the leading grit blasting and coating companies in the Netherlands, Van der Ende Straal- en Schilderwerken is always looking for working methods that provide better quality, higher efficiency and improved safety and that are less harmful to the environment.

As a result of these and other efforts we have introduced a range of innovative working methods, e.g. the onsite recycling of used grit and horizontal and vertical dust-free blasting of storage tanks in particular.

In this presentation we would like to introduce these innovative technologies. Innovations to your benefit.

Conventional grit-blasting

Grit-blasting still is one of the best ways to prepare a steel surface for coating application. Every year millions of square meters of mill scale, corrosion and layers of old paint are removed from steel surfaces.

The vast majority of surfaces is still blasted using conventional methods where the blasting agent is blown onto the surface via a nozzle.

This method gives good results, however, it does entail a number of drawbacks, such as:• Labour-intense• Emission of dust, contaminating the environment• High grit consumption• No work can be performed near the blasters in view of noise and dust levels

Conventional grit-blasting on a floating roof

Torbo grit-blasting on a cone roof

Grit-recycling

The recycling of used steel grit ensures a considerable improvement in terms of environmental risks. By collecting the used grit, cleaning it and then reusing it a number of times the amount of grit refuse can be reduced by no less than 90%.

In 1997 Van der Ende first started to use a mobile recycling unit. The unit is equipped with a hopper silo with a 25 ton capacity, an expansion barrel with 6 jet nozzles, a vacuum unit and a cleaning unit with a capacity of 10 tons per hour.

In the cleaning unit, the steel grit is cleaned in 3 stages, after which the cleaned steel grit is returned to the hopper silo via a conveyer belt.

The use of the mobile recycling unit is subject to the condition that the grit can be collected in a sealed space. Therefore we continued our search for even more effective methods of surface preparation.

Mobile grit recycling and blasting unit

Dust-free blasting

A new and extremely environmentally friendly as well as highly efficient blasting method is electric, dust-free blasting. Over the past few years Van der Ende has been using this method on a large scale, both on horizontal and on vertical surfaces such as tank floors, tank roofs and interior and exterior tank walls.

In the past years we have grit blasted over 500.000 m2 of tank floors, tank roofs and interior en exterior tanks walls with the electric dust-free blasting units, for companies as BP Refinery Rotterdam, Shell Refinery Netherlands, TEAM Terminal and Vopak Terminals.

Dust-free blasting

Electric dust-free blasting offers a number of significant benefits over conventional blasting:

• Higher speed resulting in shorter lead times• A more than 90% reduction in blasting waste• No dust emission during blasting• No nuisance to the environment, so that other work can be performed simultaneously

Horizontal surfaces

The horizontal electric dust-free blasting machines are exceptionally well suited for tank floors and tank roofs. The desired degree of cleanliness can easily be achieved by adapting the speed with which the machine is moving forward. With this technology even old tank linings of up to 2000 micron can be removed.

As there is no nuisance for the environment, other work can be performed simultaneously near the blasting site. This means that the tank can be used again sooner, which often leads to considerable savings.

Horizontal dust-free grit-blasting unit

Horizontal dust-free grit-blasting unit

Horizontal dust-free grit-blasting unit

Dust collectors for horizontal dust-free blasting units

Vertical surfacesIn 2002, following the successful application of the horizontal electric dust-free blasting machines Van der Ende performed a test with vertical electric dust-free blasting machines, at the BP Refinery in Rotterdam. As both Van der Ende as BP were pleased with the results we decided to invest in our own vertical electric dust-free blasting machines. These machines have been fitted out with a self-driving rigging system, allowing for remote operation. The rigging can be adjusted so that both interior and exterior walls can be blasted in this manner.

Vertical dust-free grit-blasting on the outside of the tank wall and

simultanious painting of the wall

Operating the vertical dust-free grit-blasting unit

Vertical dust-free grit-blasting

Control units/dust collectors for vertical dust-free blasting units

Vertical dust-free grit-blasting

Contact

head office

Van der Ende Straal- en Schilderwerken B.V.Zwolseweg 622994 LB BarendrechtNetherlands

Phone : +31 (0)10 472 11 88Fax : +31 (0)10 416 22 60Email : info@vanderende.nlWebsite : www.vanderende.nl