brilliantly CLEAN. Crytaline Silica.pdf · Wet Abrasive Blasting US government prime contractors: $1.3M Blasting equipment direct purchase by US government: $37M ... Blast equipment

brilliantlyCLEAN.

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• The main advantage of vapor blasting over dryblasting is less dust and up to 80% less gritconsumption.

• Up to 92% dust suppression – study conducted bythird party

• In 2007, awareness of vapor blast was very low.Over the last few years, vapor blast equipment hasquickly gained a firm hold in the surfacepreparation market well beyond specialtyapplications. Various state worker safety laws andEPA regulation have made dust an issue, driving anuptick in sales and use in every day blasting.

• On June 23rd, 2016, OSHA’s final Silica Rule tookeffect, mandating tough new permissibleexposure levels, and practically banning dryblasting with silica sand. New PEL = 20% of old PEL

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CleanerBlast: more safety, less dust

50 packets of artificialsweeter in the volumecontained by the EmpireState Building isequivalent to 50micrograms per cubicmeter of air (50 μg/m³)- new OSHA PEL


Imagine…

The new PEL for respirable crystalline silica is

50% lower for general industry and maritime and

80% lower for the construction industry than previous PEL.

29 CFR 1926.1153, Respirable Crystalline Silica establishes an 8-hour TWA PEL of 50 µg/m3 and requires:

• performing exposure assessments• using exposure control methods• using respiratory protection• offering medical surveillance• developing hazard communication information


Companies must determine the amount of silica that workers areexposed to if it is, or may reasonably be expected to be, at or above theaction level of 25 μg/m3 (micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air),averaged over an 8-hour day;

CleanerBlast: more compliance; less risk

29 CFR 1926.57 (Ventilation controls) must be implemented whereabrasive blasting is conducted using crystalline silica-containing blastingagents, or where abrasive blasting is conducted on substrates that containcrystalline silica.

Respiratory protection (in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134) is requiredwhere and when exposures exceed the PEL and other controls are notsufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL.

The new rule also prohibits dry sweeping and dry brushing where suchactivities could contribute to employee exposures to respirable crystallinesilica. This could be a huge hassle for dry blasters, as it generatesconsiderable amounts of waste in the form of dry dust.


CleanerBlast: more control; less hassle

29 CFR 1926.1153, Respirable Crystalline Silica applies to all occupational

exposures to respirable crystalline silica in construction work, exceptwhere employee exposure will remain below 25 micrograms percubic meter of air (25 µg/m3) as an 8-hour TWA under anyforeseeable conditions.

OSHA GUIDANCE: controls pertinent to blast cleaning


29 CFR 1926.1153, Respirable Crystalline Silica applies to all occupational exposures to respirablecrystalline silica in construction work, except where employee exposure will remain below 25micrograms per cubic meter of air (25 µg/m3) as an 8-hour TWA under any foreseeable conditions.

UHP Waterblasting• High grit and water consumption• High spray dispersal in immediate work area• Hazardous kick-back of lower hoses• Burn, laceration & vibration injuries• Extensive cleanup / vacuum trucks• Very expensive parts and maintenance upkeep• Very cumbersome productivity reducing PPE requirement

Dry Abrasive Blasting• Difficult to reduce & comply with PEL due to extremely high dust exposure and limited

control. • Dust collectors required• Limited blast pressure range• Limited grit types• Require aftercooler• Requires larger air compressor than vapor blaster• Very high grit consumption

Vapor Blast• Low grit and water consumption• Vapor droplets drop to the workplace floor• Very low hose kick-back, no vibration• Significantly lower risk of injuries• Low waste creation• Minimal cleanup (Blastbag, catch basin or shop vac)• Wide blasting range for more versatility• Dispenses a wide range of grit types & sizes for more applications• Low dust exposure (12 μg/m3 to 30 μg m3); easier to control and comply with PEL

CleanerBlast: more safety for less $$


1. Cleans fouling & scale from heat exchanger tube bundles with hardly any mess

2. Removes spill dried resins, rusts, chlorides and other contaminants

3. Removes coatings, road markings, oils, stains, epoxy, graffiti

4. Removes mineral deposits, mortar stains, mildew and efflorescence

5. Removes mill scale, scratches and grinding marks

6. Can be used to etch, profile, shot peen and polish

7. Cleans moving parts and equipment in place

8. Allows simultaneous cleaning and salt/contaminant removal to stop flash rust

9. Does not require harmful chemicals for delicate surface preparation

10.Can be used to safely remediate contaminated structures (lead, asbestos)

CleanerBlast: more versatility for less $$

Dry-docking vessels used on oil rigs costs $15-100,000

per day in lost fees. CleanerBlast technology saves up

to 5 days during corrosion control docking projects as

operations personnel do not have to evacuate the area

during CleanerBlast process.


CleanerBlast: more productivity for less $$

Upfront Equipment Savings:

• 1/3 the total cost vs Water Blast

• 50 Hp 185 cfm vs 325 Hp diesel pump

• 1/2 the total cost of equipment for dry blast

• No additional equipment needed

(rotating brushes, vacuum trucks, etc.)

+ Easy to operate

+ Minimal operating costs

+ Lower upfront costs

+ Fewer breakdowns

+ Less liability risk

________________________

= More profitable operations


Abrasive Blasting UHP Water Blasting CleanerBlast

Pressure N/A 10,000-40,000 PSI ~ 70 PSI

Water Use N/A 3.5-20 gallon/minute >1 quart/minute

Media >10 foot3/hour with or without Grit 1-2 foot3/hour

Conventional Abrasive Blast

#5 Nozzle @100 PSI: 800 lbs/hr #5 Nozzle @100 PSI: 85 lbs/hr.

Capacity

• Grit Holding Capacity – Blast Pot: (6.5 cu ft available for grit 1.1 cu ft additional for water)

• Fresh water storage: 110 US Gallons

Features

• 7.0 cu.ft. Pressure certified Grit Tank - galvanized inside & out

• Pneumatic deadman controls (12vdc optional)

• Emergency Stop Switch

• Dual Pumps - Separate & Independent pumps for filling vs blasting

• Direct Injection wash down feature with near instant response

• Pinch-to-rinse wash down logic saves BIG on slurry hose ball valve wear.

• Color coordinated control tubing for effortless troubleshooting

• Protective pot-fill guard ring with grit level test port

Included Accessories

50’ x 1 ¼” ID 2-ply blast hose, hose coupling, nozzle holder

50’ 3/16” twinline pneumatic deadman hose

#7 high-performance nozzle

Structure

• Heavy Duty structural steel skid

• Heavy ¼” square and rectangular tubing

• Reinforced water tank mounting struts

• 3” x 8” Fork pockets

• Engineered Lifting Eyes

Consumption

• Grit 1-2 cu ft / hr average

• Water - Blasting ~1 qt / min

• Water - Rinsing ~2 qt / min

• Compressed Air

200-500 cfm @ 100 psig continuous


CleanerBlast: more durability for less $$

U.S. DoD annual corrosion-related surface prep spend: $4BWet Abrasive Blasting US government prime contractors: $1.3MBlasting equipment direct purchase by US government: $37MBlasting equipment direct rental by US government: $1.5M

Global blast cleaning equipment market: $106MUSA blast cleaning equipment market: $3.19MMain competitor estimated revenue at time of acquisition: $1.83M

Rental MarketBlast equipment annual rentals (established companies): $12.5M to $30MStartup in limited regional market: 6 mo to ROICost per unit rental @ $200/day for 6 mo/yr operation: $36,400

Accelerated growth of vapor blast equipment expected to exceed theprevious annual average of 6.1% as economic consequences ofrestrictive new silicate beryllium PEL limits force surface prepcontractors to replace sandblast equipment with vapor blast units orincrease their risks and their budgets to accommodate unsustainablyhigh “safer” media, PEL monitoring, employee exams, exposurecontrols, liabilities and fines.

Sanding/Debu

rring

42%Descaling

23%

Other 35%

Surface Prep MarketBlasting Machine Sales

CleanerBlast: more return for less $$


Dry Blasting

• Dust damages lungs and equipment

• Requires largest amounts of grit media

• Require aftercooler

• Require full blast suite with full-face helmet

• Require air apparatus for breathing

• Cannot be used in high humidity

• Grit media cannot be reused.

• Extensive waste containment& controls required to control (but not reduce) dust exposure

ScaffoldingTrunking (plastic sheeting)Dust collectorsHEPA filtersAir monitorsAdditional waste containment equipment

Dry Blast with Wet Adapters

Halo Adapter types• Connect to nozzle• Require a water source• Can’t be used to apply chemicals• Do not suppress all dust• Messy

Water Injection types• Connect to nozzle or blast hose• Require a pump and water tank• Can be used to apply chemicals• Do not suppress all dust

But, like dry blasting:Dust damages lungs and equipmentRequires large amounts of grit mediaRequire aftercoolerRequire full blast suite with full-face helmetRequire air apparatus for breathingCannot be used in high humidityGrit media cannot be reused.Extensive waste containment& controls required

Amphiblast, Clemco FLEX• Adjustable water usage• Can be used with chemicals• Limited grit versatility (do not work with very fine grits)• Very little effective blast pressure range adjustment• Very messy

But, like dry blasting:• Dust damages lungs and equipment• Requires grit media• Require aftercooler• Require full blast suite with full-face helmet• Require air apparatus for breathing• Cannot be used in high humidity• Grit media cannot be reused.

Dry-Wet Hybrid vs CleanerBlast

More expensive to operate than CleanerBlast

5-6x more grit required

2-3 grit types (vs 25+ with CleanerBlast)

Not as rugged as CleanerBlast

Not as versatile as CleanerBlast

Cannot use Dry–Wet hybrid in the rain

Dry-Wet Hybrid Blast

Dustless Blasting , Sanstorm

• Batch by batch mixture (uses grit & water disproportionally)

• Does not require a blasting pump

• Requires outside water source

• Can be used with chemicals

• Very little grit versatility

• Very little blast pressure range adjustment

• Very messy

Slurry Blast vs CleanerBlast

Uses 3 x more grit than CleanerBlast

Uses 20x more water than Cleanerblast

2-3 grit types (vs 25+ with CleanerBlast)

Not as rugged as CleanerBlast

Not as versatile as CleanerBlast

Slurry Blast

Sponge Jet “Low Dust”

• Requires manufacturers proprietary sponge media

• Must use grit 6-7 times to justify feasibility

• Requires recycling system with sorter

• Requires aftercooler

• Requires full blast suit

• Requires breathing air

• Cannot be used with chemicals

• Very little grit versatility (with available sponge ONLY)

• Very little blast pressure range adjustment

• Slurry Blast vs CleanerBlast

• Uses 3 x more grit than CleanerBlast

• Uses 20x more water than Cleanerblast

• 2-3 grit types (vs 25+ with CleanerBlast)

• Not as rugged as CleanerBlast

• Not as versatile as CleanerBlast

Sponge Blast

wirxgroupllc.com 866-610-0774

Sales & Inquiries:Rachael JacksonWirx Group, LLCO: 866-610-0774M:480.205.6615

Documents

brilliantly CLEAN. Crytaline Silica.pdf · Wet Abrasive Blasting US government prime contractors: $1.3M Blasting equipment direct purchase by US government: $37M ... Blast equipment