About FASTT

02 - Painting/Coating

Best Management

Machine shop has switched over to an aqueous based paint and primer but has Practices experienced rust leaching through the paint and primer. It should be noted that water based paints require a greater degree of surface preparation and cleaning to ensure a suitable final product.

Biocide Additive

Metal spray booths have waterfall recovery system to handle overspray. There are current discussions to switch to a dry filter system. FASTT recommends to continue the use of the waterfall booths to capture metal particulate. A biocide additive could be used to prolong the life of the tank. FASTT will provide information regarding the biocide additive.

Corrosion Protection Liner

Facility currently uses a mild steel heated freshwater dip tank for cleaning and salt removal of pipes and associated equipment. FASTT recommends installing a tank liner to prevent corrosion of the steel tank. The tank liner will increase the life expectancy of the tank.

Dry Filter Paint Booth Systems

The FASTT Team recommended conversion to dry filter paint booth systems on 10 occasions. An example application follows:

The use of wet paint booths generates water contaminated with paint constituents, anti-foaming agents, and anti-bacterial compounds. This water must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Converting to a "dry type" filtration system would eliminate or significantly reduce hazardous waste disposal costs by rendering booth wastes as non-hazardous and allowing them to be disposed of as solid wastes. It is estimated that approximately $15,000 per year is spent disposing of water from wet systems as hazardous waste.

Dry Filter Paint Booth Systems/BMP

Dry filter paint room is used for general painting purposes. Personnel indicate that two doors are constantly used during operations. Particulate and contaminants are inevitable, resulting in poor surface finish and frequent repainting. Building an enclosure will eliminate the need for repainting, and the constant interruptions. The CB unit may be able to build an enclosure with an airtight access door.

Dry Filter Paint Booth Systems/Chemco Design

An aircraft paint booth uses an exhaust ventilation system equipped with disposable filters, which are changed monthly and disposed of as hazardous waste. A Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test on the filters would determine if disposal as hazardous waste is necessary. Further, modifying the current filtering system with the Chemco system, a high particulate filtering medium designed for the collection of paint booth air contaminants, will reduce or eliminate hazardous waste disposal, if the filters are not a hazardous waste, and costs associated therewith.

Note

Metal finishing division of the PWC performs sandblasting. Facility consists of a recycling sandblast booth, and two water wash paint spray booths. Facility is using VOC compliant, non-hazardous paints. All paint solvents are recycled by segregation and distillation. Spray guns are cleaned in an automatic washer and solvent is captured for reuse. Spray guns are HVLP.

Paint Booth Maskants

FASTT recommended use of maskants to three activities. An example application follows:

Paint booths require periodic maintenance to remove paint and primer overspray. Current methods to remove overspray employ scrapers and sanders and are labor intensive. Use of an environmentally-friendly peelable paint booth coating would significantly reduce labor efforts and increase worker safety by eliminating release of particulate into the air. Estimated savings include $925 in the first year, $4,625 within five years, and $9,250 within 10 years.

Paint Booth Maskants/BMP

Masking materials are used to capture overspray in dry paint booths. Spent masking materials and booth filters are disposed of as hazardous wastes. New paints and primers used on support equipment are required to be lead and chromate free per NAVAIR 17-1-125. If only lead and chromate-free paints and primers are used, then the masking materials and filters should not be disposed of as hazardous waste. Work on old equipment that may be coated with older lead and chromate-containing paints or primers, and work on aircraft parts (primers used on these contain chromate), should not be performed in the paint booths. No hazardous waste should be generated from the dry paint booths in this shop. As long as paints are dry, masking materials could potentially be disposed of as solid waste. This would result in substantial cost savings.

Paint Booth Operations/BMP

A large paint booth is used in the workshop to accommodate large pieces of equipment, but because of the large volume of work, small pieces are not painted in the booth. A small paint booth has been requested for painting small pieces and for stenciling. The FASTT Team supports this request, which would eliminate all painting performed inside the building but not in paint booths, reduce the backlog of paint jobs on large parts (due to painting or stenciling smaller pieces that could be handled in the small paint booth), and increase personnel safety.

Aircraft and aircraft components are touched-up with spray paint frequently enough to necessitate installation of a paint booth. FASTT Team recommends installation of a covered wash rack that can be modified to accommodate the dual purposes of plane washing and touch-up painting.

Shop utilizes a dry paint filter booth for the application of powder coating. The booth filters that contain the powder overspray are replaced every two months and disposed of as a hazardous waste. However, the filters may not need to be disposed of as hazardous. MIL-PRF-24712A states that the uncured powder coat can be allowed to dry and then be disposed of as non-hazardous waste. Local environmental regulators should be contacted to determine if this procedure is allowed under local regulations. An additional savings could be realized by lowering the exhaust airflow of the booth to the specified level. This should decrease filter change out by 50%.

Two bays in Building 201 have been retrofitted with paint booths. Potential problems from paint dust on the wooden ceilings may be a safety hazard. FASTT suggests a thorough evaluation of the existing booths and long-term plans to replace them with conventional metal booths.

Dry paint booth filters are changed by PWC on a periodic basis. It reportedly costs $10-20K to change the filters since they must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Paints used in the shop do not contain heavy metals, thus the filters may not be hazardous. Tests should be performed to determined if the filters need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. Additionally, filters should be changed based on use and not periodically irrespective of use. Assuming 50% less filter changes are made, savings would amount to $5-10K per year. Cost can also be reduced if shop personnel change the filters instead of PWC.

Work center currently conducts corrosion preventative maintenance and painting on the hangar deck. It is recommended that these activities be performed in a small paint booth to reduce or eliminate hazardous vapors that travel throughout the hanger and into shops.

Current protocol for painting tire rims requires that the rim be completely stripped and repainted. Touch-up painting in lieu of complete stripping and repainting for wheels with minor paint damage is allowed under the NAV 04-10-1 manual. It is estimated that five of the approximate seven wheels painted per day could be touched-up instead of entirely repainted. Touch-up painting would save two days in turn-around time per 1000 wheels, and save an estimated $9,300.

Paint Gun Washer

FASTT found 12 opportunities for workshops to explore the use of highly efficient paint gun washers. An example application follows:

Carpentry shop cleans spray guns by filling them with a solvent and spraying into the paint booth. The solvent used to clean the guns is lost to the atmosphere, not recycled. A paint gun washer is more efficient and would recycle the solvents for reuse.

Process Change/BMP

The paint on Trident II ballast cans, lifting fixtures, and loading guides is allowing rust through in less than a year and causing extra use of paint and generating excess paint debris. Use of an alternative paint, such as the low VOC two part epoxies used on ship's hulls, could increase paint life 1-5 years. FASTT will request NAVSEA 03M to provide assistance to the Strategic Weapons group to get the paint approved. Ballast and lift fixtures can also be covered with shrink-wrap to prevent rainwater from collecting within the equipment. Additionally, the inventory of equipment can be reduced to lessen maintenance requirements. It is estimated that 74 ballast cans, 48 lifting fixtures, and 4 loading guides should be taken out of the maintenance cycle. Implementation of these opportunities is estimated to result in an annual cost savings of $32,660, and a reduction of hazardous materials used and hazardous waste generated by 80 and 35 pounds per year, respectively.

Shop has a need for chemical conversion coating for aluminum (Alodine). Alodine application methods vary. The least amount of hazardous waste is produced by using a wipe-on/wipe-off method using cheesecloth for application and removal. This eliminates the need for rinse water and capture. The recommended and currently approved method is a tank application of Alodine. Implementation of the tank process will not require an equipment investment as the required tanks are available on the old chemical paint removal line.

Metal Shop performs corrosion control on various aircraft components using Alodine. Alodine application methods vary. The least amount of hazardous waste is produced by using a wipe-on/wipe-off method using cheesecloth for application and removal. This eliminates the need for rinse water and capture. The recommended and currently approved method is a tank application of Alodine.

Substitute/Paint

Blue aerosol paint currently used on support equipment headlights. FASTT Team recommended a tint paint. This paint and no other suitable covering could no longer be found. FASTT found blue covers to test. Ship's force reports these are melting. Blue lights available under NSN but the coating is easily scrapped off. No warranty is offered and ammonia based cleaners/common glass cleaners such as Windex cannot be used. FASTT Team notifying appropriate NAVAIR code and seeking resolution.

Aerosol paint is currently used to provide a blue color to clear headlights on support equipment. Blue tinted headlights are not available. Aerosol paint contains hazardous organic solvents and empty aerosol cans must be collected for proper disposal. FASTT recommends a paint substitution that will reduce hazardous emissions, can be applied by brush and is specifically designed for light bulbs. A cost savings would also result.

Personnel currently use a chromate-based paint that is a RCRA listed hazardous waste. Replacing these paints will eliminate use of hazardous materials. Suggested substitutes include TT-P-645B Zinc Molybdate primer, or MIL-P-24441 epoxy polymide primer.

The undercoating of LARC's must be painted with black paint for camouflaging on the beach. When a water soluble black undercoating is unavailable, undercoating requiring a thinner, MIL-T-81772B, Type I is used. FASTT is checking the supply system for a high solid black paint, so that use of the paint requiring thinner, a hazardous material, is not necessary.

Desert sand color (22563, Beach Sand) used on vehicles per Federal standard 595, appears pink in color to customers, and reportably shows dirt and grease marks upon drying. Paint purchased locally and not through supply satisfies customer's needs. Recommend Navy change the formulation of desert sand to reflect what customer wants. FASTT will contact the appropriate NAVSEA technical code to perform a re-evaluation of the sand paint standard color and durability.

Ordnance section uses a F-117 wash primer paint for certain applications. Formula contains chromates which will become a health hazard and hazardous waste when removed in the future. FASTT recommends substituting a less hazardous paint such as F-150 epoxy.

Workshop paints steel components. Current operations do not utilize water based paints, which contain fewer VOC's and provide better paint transfer efficiency. FASTT Team is providing information on best materials, equipment and processes to paint steel structures.

Unicoat Painting

Shop paints various types of antennas using a primer and two part epoxy coat. FASTT recommends testing the unicoat topcoat polyurethane on shipboard antennas as a replacement for the epoxy polyamide currently being used. Unicoat is a two part mix that includes a primer. Value added would be in less paint use and reduced man-hours in paint operations.