Our client was tasked with blast cleaning three tanks. The tanks had a 15m (50 ft) diameter and 9m (30 ft) sidewalls. Both the inner and outer surface areas needed to be cleaned, including the floor. Lastly, the project deadline was 30 days. This turnaround would be challenging even for seasoned blasting contractors.

Additionally the job site was within an electric car manufacturing environment that is extremely sensitive to dust and noise. The plant’s main cooling towers were stationed near a total of eleven tanks, and any contamination of dust or debris that ended up in cooling tower water could potentially cause plugging in the coils and affect the entire plant.

The contractor finished the job on time for two reasons. He used the most advanced wet blasting equipment supplied by BlastOne. Secondly, they switched to GMA ToughBlast™ garnet abrasive. Both were new to the contractor. He had never worked with the equipment, and being a slag user — he was hesitant to try an unfamiliar abrasive product.

The BlastOne technical team calculated the projected substantial cost savings from switching to GMA ToughBlast™. Due to the product’s high performance, the contractor would use less abrasive. Furthermore, garnet requires less cleanup with a lower volume of waste disposal. 

Even more, garnet also aligned with the site’s strict regulations. There was a zero-landfill policy. In addition, the BlastOne team conducted a blast cleaning demonstration for the contractor before delivering the equipment to the site.

Afterward, the contractor experienced increased demand. He worked on more tanks, but also catwalks, and other steel structures. Overall, this increase is due to GMA ToughBlast™’s low dust emission, leaving minimal residue on the ground. Moreover, the site management is pleased with the switch to an environmentally friendly mineral. Consequently, increasing the level of safety on site and in the environment.

Productivity-wise, the contractor specifically completed five tanks overall. One day ahead of their 30-day timeline. Therefore doubling the number of tanks they were originally planning to finish.