Change in abrasive media and blasting protocol delivers over 100% increase in efficiency

A manufacturer and refurbisher with one of the largest fleets of rail cars in North America sought ways to improve efficiency, surface quality and overall refurbishment cost per car. Goals were to: 1) maximize the number of cars completed per 24-ton pot of abrasives, 2) reduce dust and improve blaster visibility, 3) minimize abrasive embedment and over-profiling of the surface to reduce paint consumption, and 4) improve the quality of finished tank cars.

Based on the trial results, the facility switched exclusively to 10X superoxalloy abrasives and the blasting protocols recommended by the 10X Methods Improvement Team. The refurbisher’s goals were met and they are now experiencing: 1) improved abrasive efficiency, 2) higher quality single-pass results, 3) decreased overall costs, 4) increased productive time. In addition to improved economics, operators have expressed preference for working with low dust 10X superoxalloy, which has improved visibility during the blasting process and reduced cleanup time.