(BELLE CHASSE, La.) — C&C Marine and Repair has announced the opening of its new indoor climate-controlled paint and blast facility. The 83,350-square-foot facility can accommodate barges up to 320 feet long and will be able to blast and paint a standard 30,000-barrel tank barge or two 10,000-barrel tank barges in seven to 10 days. The fully enclosed, climate-controlled facility is unaffected by inclement weather and allows for uninterrupted operation year-round.
“We modified technology that was being used to blast rail cars and containers and have successfully adapted the process to blast barges,” said C&C Marine and Repair’s owner, Tony Cibilich. The fully automated blasting robots use steel grit as the blast medium, which is blasted uniformly across the surface of the barge.
There are two robotic blasters, each with two oscillating nozzles that continuously blast the barge from the top and sides. A separate bottom-blasting robot, outfitted with oscillating nozzles, blasts the bottom surface of the barge. Each blasting robot is capable of blasting at a rate of 2,000 square feet per hour. As a result of the speed and efficiency of the fully-automated robotic blasting system, it takes one fourth the amount of time as the traditional manual sand blasting method.
“The benefit of blasting and painting in an enclosed, environmentally-controlled facility is tremendous. Not only are you insulated from weather delays and humidity, but you have benefits related to efficiency, cost savings, employee safety and protection to the environment,” said Cibilich. The steel grit blast medium also provides a superior surface for paint adhesion and bonding, resulting in NACE III inspector verified surface profile readings between 4.5 and 4.8, as opposed to a surface profile reading of 3.0-3.5 from sand or slag medium. The improved profile finish leads to a better paint adhesion to the steel which leads to fewer required paint jobs during the life of the barge.
The new facility represents C&C Marine and Repair’s continued commitment to adopting new technology and employing best practices, particularly as it relates to employee safety and protecting the environment. The indoor facility prevents overspray, contamination and runoff of paint and blast media into adjacent waterways. The facility’s air filtration system collects and encapsulates over 99 percent of all airborne particulates associated with the blast and paint process. The steel grit blast particles are continually recycled and reused throughout the blasting process.
For more information, visit www.ccmrepair.com.
