In 2020 Straaltechniek International Belgium built and installed a new grit blasting cabin inside former storage halls in France. The cabin blasts complete rail wagons of 27 x 3 x 4.7 metres with two types of abrasive.

The challenge

The customer needed to blast complete rail wagons of 27 x 3 x 4.7 metres inside existing storage halls, with both metal grit and corundum, and keep working when the weather is poor.

The solution

The well-insulated cabin is built from sandwich panels, lined with rubber and reinforced by a compact, rigid frame. That frame carries two motorised longitudinal work platforms and is ready for a future transverse gantry with a blasting robot.

• Lighting of around 800 lux from every working angle
• ATEX ventilation for good visibility and clean air
• ATEX dust collector of 70,000 m³/h, separated from the two suction labyrinths by two ATEX non-return valves
• Air heating of 750 kW, so work continues in unfavourable weather
• Two large end doors for the wagons and several operator doors for safe access
• Heavy-duty grating floor with an HLS scraper system on three independent tracks, so operators can also blast underneath the wagons

Abrasive handling and control

A screw conveyor and bucket elevator lift up to 12 m³ of abrasive per hour to the separation systems. The two abrasives are separated automatically, then cleaned and recycled independently in two silos of 2,500 litres each. Up to eight 240-litre blast pots can be installed in parallel under the silos.

A PLC handles automation, safety and supervision, so the operators can manage the entire installation easily.

Project photos

Technology used