Paulinas Brasil (Agosto 2004) - In Replan, the biggest refinery of the Petrobras Company, located in Paulinas- SP., Brazil, a blasting test over the walls of Nº 4311 tank was made with model GPV-30 portable machine. The test proved the machine’s excellent performance and some of Replan staff congratulated Metal Cym’s team on its outcome: “We believe the machine is excellent.

This test has been a real success and has enabled us to participate in the application and development of this new technology. Besides, this technology fits our “GESTION SEM LACUNAS” principle (try to find answers and perfection in everything you do) leading to significant improvement as regards Safety, Environment, Health, Quality and Productivity”, said Mr. Osmar Dresdi Maintenance Technician II.

Some of the aspects that were jointly analyzed with Replan’s staff and taken into consideration were the following:

• Environment: It does not pollute and keeps the workers safe since the abrasive is not in direct contact with the atmosphere (steel blast is kept inside the machine).
• Machine Operators: The workers needed to operate the machine were two for the shot blasting machine and one for the crane.
• Quality: It does not pollute the parts and keeps uniformity over the whole surface treated. It also allows the blasting of new steel sheets that have foil coatings.
• Productivity: The machine's average performance was very productive near 60m2/hr. (including lag time) equal to 5 peeks of blasting by compressed air with SA 2 ½ pattern.
• Observations: The paint scheme in 4311 tank, where the test was performed, is the following:
  • First N -1228
  • FInal Paint: N -1259 calcined
  • Medium: total density 100 microns aprox.