| 03 - Coating/Corrosion Removal |
Aluminum Oxide Media Blasting
FASTT found 7 activity workshops that should investigate the use of Aluminum Oxide Media Blasting. An example recommendation follows:
Shop currently uses a walk-in PMB booth to remove paint from support equipment. It does not remove corrosion. Aluminum Oxide (AlO3) abrasive blasting can be used to remove both paint and corrosion on most equipment/parts, except those composed of aluminum. FASTT recommends replacing the PMB with AlO3 in the walk-in booth because it is more durable and may generate less hazardous waste. For aluminum equipment parts (10% of the shop's workload), FASTT recommends procuring a glove-box for PMB. A glove box will not generate as much hazardous waste as a walk-in booth. Parts that do not fit in the glove box can be stripped using an environmentally safe chemical, such as Turco 6813 or FO606. Estimated savings from combining paint and corrosion removal (i.e. using AlO3) is $5,400/lb. per year for blasting media, and $6,700 per year in man-hours.
Flame Spray Unit
A powder flamespray unit was used on the USS Ingraham to plastic coat various exterior shipboard items that had previously required frequent repainting. Approval and utilization of this technology eliminated the excessive hazardous waste generation and VOC emissions associated with frequent repainting. FASTT and CINCPACFLT coordinated a review of the process which resulted in approval by NAVSEA for selected components. FASTT will assist in gaining approval from NAVAIR.
Ground Support Equipment shop blasts and paints equipment frames/housing approx every two years. Process is labor intensive and produces HW and air pollution. Flame spray thermal plastic coatings may provide a superior finish. Initial indication is that process time could be cut in half, paint waste and air emissions would be eliminated, and painting maintenance costs cut in half.
A flamespray unit was tested aboard a destroyer on 55 caliber gun mounts. The flamesprayed items looked like new compared to the painted mounts. FASTT Team believes this method of flamespraying paints be considered as a candidate in the P2 Equipment Program. Still needs approval for shipboard use.
Glass Bead Box
Shop 31E recently received a glass bead blasting unit to perform corrosion and carbon deposit removal activities. However, the equipment design only allows the blasting media to be used once, when in reality, it can be used up to ten times. FASTT recommends that the equipment be modified or replaced so that the blasting media can be recovered and reused, therefore minimizing the waste stream that can contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium and other heavy metals.
Shop disassembles, cleans and repairs various types of valves. Corrosion must be removed prior to repair and reassembly. This is done by hand using "Simple Green" solution and bulk rags. The shop could use a glass bead glovebox for corrosion removal. The beads can be used up to ten times prior to disposal. This would eliminate numerous man-hours expended, as well as unnecessary solid waste generated. A glove box is currently used by another shop, and could be shared with this shop. Annual savings is estimated to be $16,675.
Submarine pumps with bronze or copper alloy components cleaned manually. This process is exceptionally labor intensive. A glass bead box along with an aqueous parts washer would offer the shop comprehensive alternatives.
Shop 51B uses a glovebox blaster with size 13 glass beads to remove corrosion from steel parts. The system is designed for size 3 grit. The grit is also not recycled by the unit automatically. FASTT recommends replacement or modification of the system to make it run in an efficient manner and the operator would only have to add fresh grit when required.
HVLP Spray Gun
FASTT recommended to 7 workshops the use of HVLP spray guns. An example follows:
Carpentry shop sprays clear water-based coating onto wood products using a conventional spray gun in a dry filter booth. Using the conventional spray gun, only half of the coat is applied to the part, the remainder plugs up the dry filters. Conversion to a HVLP spray gun would improve spray efficiency by approximately 75%. Hazardous material use would be reduced by 33%, dry filter life would be extended, and emissions reduced.
Media Blasting
Shop currently uses aluminum oxide to remove paint and corrosion from GSE. During this process, most of the aluminum oxide is contaminated with lead, chromium, and cadmium from the paint. However, the aluminum oxide that is used as anchor tooth material does not become contaminated and could be recycled. This would provide approximately $10-$15K in savings. Alternative methods to render the aluminum oxide as non-hazardous are being prototyped. FASTT personnel have discussed the possibility of using the non-hazardous spent aluminum oxide as material in cement production. This would eliminate long-term liability.
Personnel use black blast grit in blasting operations on the floating dry-dock and in shoreside activities. The black media is used once and then discarded. Use of a more durable blast media with a recovery and recycling system would enable reuse of the media and reduce purchasing and disposal costs. Estimated media purchasing savings is $68,850 per year.
Shop uses iron grit in new media blasting/painting facility. The grit is separated and recycled for reuse, however, iron grit has a history of forming solid iron oxides that clog recycling equipment when moisture is present. Every effort should be made to eliminate the possibility of the iron becoming wet. Alternative grit media, such as aluminum oxide, should also be investigated. FASTT team will assist as necessary on this issue.
Shop 67H uses bicarbonate soda blaster to strip paint from antenna. Task is performed outdoors. Residual paint/soda are washed down an industrial drain. Moving to an enclosed area would allow for a drying and sweeping (or vacuuming) of the soda and paint chips. Waste could be reduced by 60% to 70%. Additionally, current nozzle is designed for finer work. A larger nozzle could realize an immediate productivity increase of 50% to 100% for soda blasting.
Corrosion Control Shop has two enclosed blast booths, both recycle spent grit. At one time work was divided between lead/chromate contaminated and non-contaminated work. Practice discontinued due to new disposal contract. FASTT recommends discontinuing practice of mixing hazardous and non-hazardous grit. Action could reduce aluminum oxide hazardous waste by 50%.
Metal finishing shop buying blasting media in 100 lbs. bags. As the shop uses 10 tons per year, FASTT recommends purchasing bulk quantities. Action would reduce price per pound by 52%.
Pangborn Media Blasting
An A&E study indicated that two additional blasters and duster systems should Unit be purchased for the anticipated increase in shop workload. Shop personnel believe that a single Pangborn unit could handle the work. FASTT recommends that A&E reevaluate their study, and believes that installing a single Pangborn unit would meet additional workload requirements, and cost $276,000 less than installing the two units recommends by A&E.
Plastic Media Blasting
FASTT found 20 workshops that could make use of Plastic Media Blasting. An example recommendation follows:
The current method to remove paint from P-3 propeller blades employs a methylene chloride-based paint remover. The NAVAIR 01-1A-509 Aircraft Weapon Systems Cleaning and Corrosion Control Manual authorizes PMB for use at intermediate maintenance activities. A glove box can be retrofitted to enclose the propeller for PMB. Use of PMB will eliminate the use of methylene chloride, reduce the amount of PPE required, provide a superior surface profile for repainting, and reduce labor and process turnaround time by 50%. Estimated savings is $3,280 annually.
Plastic Media Blasting/BMP
Antenna Shop uses glove box plastic media blasting units on small metal parts. Type II media is currently used. FASTT recommends use of Type V media to increase shop's blasting efficiency
Pneumatic Vacuum/Corrosion Removal
Corrosion control personnel remove small amounts of corrosion from aircraft by hand sanding. Hand sanding is very labor-intensive. Use of one pneumatic vacuum sander, with two sanders and extension suction hoses would reduce the time required to sand an aircraft by 50%. Annual savings is estimated to be $11,739, with pay-back achieved in little over a year.
Roll-off Bulk Container
Shop currently uses aluminum oxide to remove paint and corrosion from GSE. The aluminum oxide is removed as hazardous waste because it is contaminated with lead, chromium, and cadmium from paint ships. Use of a roll-off bulk container would eliminate the cost of purchasing and transporting the drums (containing the waste) alone, resulting in a disposal price reduction of approximately $87,400.
Vacuum Blasting Unit
The Weight Handling/Material Handling Equipment shop maintains and repairs mobile cranes. All paint stripping is currently performed in an open field. Dust generation issues can be resolved with off-the-shelf vacuum blasting equipment. A unit can be procured throughout the P2 Equipment Program.
Waterfront operations currently perform corrosion control on hulls using hand paint removal and needle guns. Chips are collected and tested for heavy metals contamination. A trailer mounted, steel grit, vacuum blasting unit will blast, vacuum separate and recycle the grit simultaneously. Efficiency would improve by 50 times and paint chips would be collected in real-time.
Vacuum Sander
Alpha shop prepares vehicles and small equipment for painting with hand sanding. The efforts produce dust which could be hazardous or toxic if the removed paints contain lead or chromate containing primer. A vacuum sander would eliminate dust exposure and cut man-hours in half, resulting in labor savings and quality of life improvements.
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