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Comprehensive Rail Solutions
BlastOne’s provides innovative technologies, and proven methodologies to overcome the common challenges faced by our customers – making industrial surface preparation Faster, Safer and Cleaner.
Whether you are building a new facility for tank car lining, building new hopper cars or trying to upgrade an old facility, we have a solution for you. The tank lining business has been an early adopter of robotic blasting technology and BlastOne is leading that change.
Blast and Paint Facility Design
RAIL BLAST AND PAINT BOOTH APPLICATIONS
BlastOne designs facilities to meet the unique challenges of the rail industry:
Hopper Car Facility
Blast Room with Robotic Blast Arm
Paint Facility with Aquatec – Fast Curing Technology
Blast Room with Vacuum System for Recovering Abrasive
Blast Facility with Man-lifts
THE PROCESS TO A GREAT OUTCOME
As most companies only build a blast and paint facility once in their lifetime, we have designed a streamlined process that guides you to an ultimate solution, fitting both your needs and budget. Too often people engage an engineering company or a friend-of-a-friend to specify what they need, before contracting companies for a 20ft x 80ft facility that oftentimes won’t suit their long-term needs.
This industry is small and very niche and we follow a Design | Bid | Build methodology. Our process has been perfected over decades and begins with a thorough assessment of your facility’s requirements, followed by detailed planning and design before construction.
A deep dive into our Approach and What to Expect
BlastOne delivers high-performance, cost-effective blasting and painting facilities through integrated design, construction, and long-term support. From concept to completion, we tailor solutions to client needs, reducing risks and streamlining processes. With 45+ years of expertise, we provide ongoing support, including maintenance, training, and readily available consumables, ensuring reliability throughout the facility’s life cycle.
BUILDING THE WORLD’S MOST PRODUCTIVE RAILCAR FACILITY STARTS WITH A CAPACITY STUDY
The BlastOne team would like to take you on a forward-thinking journey to systematically review your production schedules, cycle times, and growth capacity to ensure the facility you build is suited for your growth.
Capacity Studies are designed to review and validate the production capacity you need long term. Throughout the process we assess the efficiency of the proposed blasting and painting operations and identify potential bottlenecks. These studies dictate the size, quantity and functionality of the solution that we would build for you.
Key Components of Capacity Studies:
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Workflow Assessment
A thorough evaluation of current processes to identify inefficiencies.
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Bottleneck Identification
Detection of areas that impede productivity.
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Implementation of Solutions
Application of targeted improvements tailored to specific operational needs.
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Sustained Efficiency
Development of strategies to ensure long-term operational gains.
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START YOUR JOURNEY WITH A PHONE CALL.
Connect with a professional today.
Robotic Solutions For Rail
Railcar Refurbishing
Blastman B20CX Animation
Robot Blasting Freight Cars
Customized Abrasive Blasting Solutions
Shot Blasting Robot of Railcars
Ongoing Support & Training
SPARE PARTS AND ONGOING SUPPLIES
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Abrasive
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Blast Equipment
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Blast Helmets
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Paint Equipment
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Paint Sundries
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Coveralls and Suits
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Robotic Parts
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Inspection/QA
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Hand Tools
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Lighting
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Silenced Blast Nozzles
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Safety & PPE
BLASTSHIELD MAINTENANCE SERVICES
BLASTSHIELD ACADEMY
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2-Day Equipment Maintenance Course
Covers fundamental equipment upkeep, including blasting operations, reclaim system maintenance, and dust collector servicing.
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3-Day Equipment & Robotic Maintenance Course
Adds advanced training on automation systems, robotics troubleshooting, and spare parts management.
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KEEP YOUR EQUIPMENT RUNNING AT PEAK PERFORMANCE
Enhance performance and longevity with expert services, training, and available spare parts.
Case Studies
LEADING RAILCAR REPAIR SHOP – RETROFITS LARGE VACUUM UNIT TO EXISTING RECOVERY SYSTEM
A leading railcar repair shop improved its grit recovery system by integrating a second 100HP vacuum unit, preventing system backups and enhancing efficiency. BlastOne’s custom solution optimized recovery, reduced downtime, and delivered long-term cost savings.
EMERGING RAILCAR MANUFACTURER TACKLES POTENTIAL BOTTLENECK IN FINISHING DIVISION
To overcome bottlenecks in its finishing division, Vertex Rail implemented automated Blastman robotics, a manual blast booth, a downdraft paint booth, and a high-temperature cure booth. This solution streamlined production, increased efficiency, and significantly reduced labor costs, enabling high-volume railcar output.
— Vertex Rail
ENHANCING RAILCAR REFURBISHMENT WITH ROBOTIC BLASTING
To enhance efficiency and minimize downtime, a leading railcar service provider replaced its outdated wheel blasting system with a state-of-the-art robotic blast room. The transition began with a manual blasting setup, ensuring continuous production until robotic components were installed. This upgrade increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved blast quality and consistency, providing a significant competitive advantage.
Real Solutions. Real Impact.
See the Results!
Industry & Project Challenges
All railcars, whether it is a closed top hopper car, box car, tanker car, or auto-rack, can fall victim to coating failure.
Some common issues we’ve found from working with the industry:
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Confined spaces and working at heights
Working inside or outside a rail or tank car can be hazardous. While blasting the interior of the car, the space is extremely cramped and difficult to move within. Coupled with this are all the hazards of a confined space – toxic substances, flammable gases, lack of oxygen, difficulty of evacuation/extraction. While blasting the exterior, the operator is often working at precarious heights. This decreases maneuverability and at the same time creates a fall risk.
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Unable to meet project deadlines
Variations in coating types between cars means production can be greatly impacted, leading to scheduling delays. Additionally, areas of the cars may need to be repaired before blasting can begin. Depending on the extent of damage, this can disrupt the project workflow.
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Strict quality control and regulations
The variety of coatings used on each railcar results in major variations in surface profile requirements. This makes quality control a challenging task. Consequently, a rail car facility needs to have a suitably qualified coating inspector onsite, checking quality standards compliance constantly.
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Safety concerns
The range of hazards in a rail car blast and paint facility is extensive – some general hazards found in most engineering facilities, and some specific to blasting and painting. BlastOne is able to supply both corrosion control industry-specific PPE and general PPE.
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Rail Resources
25 Important Considerations when Building a Blast Facility
If you are purchasing a turnkey blast room for building it yourself, there are 25 subjects you need to be well versed in. BlastOne has compiled a detailed report containing an in-depth guide on all the critical components of a blast room: design considerations, abrasive education, and production techniques.
Knowledge & Learning
Videos from the Experts
How to | Primed Insights | Safety Tips
The Difference Between Grinding VS Blasting
Top Producing Blast Booths Have These Features
Myths about Robotic Abrasive Blasting
Industries Served
Contact BlastOne
We love to talk to customers and help them make the best decisions when purchasing equipment.
You can reach us via our Live Chat, Email, Phone, and Online Form.
