> Resource Hub / Case Studies / Blast Room installation for leader in water management services
Leader in water waste management trusts Airblast to install a blast room at their manufacturing centre.
Client
Undisclosed
Location
Eastington, Gloucestershire
Brief
Decommission existing competitors’ blast facility and install a new comprehensive blast room.
Background
A leader global specialist in water management processes for 40 years, this firm has delivered advanced solutions and expertise in their sector. Helping municipal, industrial, and construction customers optimise their wastewater procedures, increase operational performance, and improve their environmental footprint.
They contacted Airblast to design and install a new bespoke blast room for their manufacturing centre to process stainless steel components for their submersible water treatment equipment. Their previous blasting facility was not fit for purpose, so our expert design team went to work to deliver an efficient and comprehensive surface treatment solution.
The Solution
On our first initial visits to our client’s site, it was immediately apparent that their previous facility emitted a lot of operational noise out into the wider environment, while also generating vast amounts of particulate that wasn’t being efficiently extracted. Moreover, keeping the blast room inside exacting dimensions was essential as floor space was limited.
Noise attenuation
As per HSE guidelines, ambient noise levels must be kept within regulation parameters to ensure worker protection and productivity. We utilised sound-dampening composite panels during the construction of the blast room’s enclosure walls and ceiling to attenuate the blast room noise levels. These composite panels are made of an outer skin, which acts as a sound barrier, and an inner sound absorption material, ensuring reduced operational noise emission to the wider environment.
Dust extraction and abrasive selection
Additionally, having poor blast room ventilation can cause major inefficiencies in production. If particulate cannot be extracted optimally, it reduces the visibility for the operator inside, increases the likelihood of maintenance of work, and incurs potential health risks. Our blast rooms are designed to operate virtually dust-free. We guarantee this through our rigorously tested dust extraction systems. Our blast rooms work with gravity, drawing fresh air through inlets on the blast room’s ceiling and venting dirty air to outlets on the enclosure’s rear wall near the floor. This novel ventilation technique holds particulates in atmospheric suspension, with air moving from high to low, which does not allow the dust to settle. We couple this with a powerful pulse jet cartridge dust arrestor unit, which achieves a near-complete dustless operation.
Abrasive can also impact the amount of dust generated during blasting operations. Inside their previous facility, they used glass bead and garnet. While these abrasives have their uses in the right circumstances, it wasn’t optimal. Our team conducted several trials to see if we could find an abrasive that was more suited to their processing. A final optimal abrasive was discovered, which was a far better option for our clients. This abrasive generated less dust, was more durable, had a faster cleaning action, and had reduced lifetime costs.
Floor space management
On-site, floor space came at a premium; our blast room dimensions were around 4.5 square metres in width and length and 2.5 metres high. This is why we opted to install the blast room with a blast-resistant roller door to manage and reduce the facility’s footprint. This roller door ensures the minimal floor encroachment you find with typical hinge doors, providing better overall access to the facility.
Abrasive recovery
Due to our client’s production requirements, we settled on a double vaculift recovery unit for the abrasive recovery. The vaculift operates manually by sweeping settled abrasive via forklift into the recovery point, which is blown into a catch box. Once there, lighter dust is transported to the dust collector, and heavier contaminants are caught and transported to the air wash. At this point, a viable abrasive is separated from the debris to be used again.
The Result
Our client can now benefit from a highly optimised, bespoke surface treatment solution. Increasing turnaround times and improving overall production efficiency.
The sample testing before the order was a positive experience; we previously used garnet/glass bead, which caused visibility and production issues. However, with this new abrasive, we can see a marked decrease in dust generation and an overall better finish…
Additionally, this new blast room has been a game changer for our operator. It had been difficult to treat our product previously as we were blasting outside, and seasonal changes were challenging to work in. However, the blast room has improved his experience significantly; blasting in a controlled environment with great visibility has improved overall production turnaround times.
– Managing Director
