Industry:
Petrochemical

Application: 
The end user was required to clean several thousand small tubes inside of their large heat exchangers. An operator would manually insert a blast nozzle into the end of the tube. It was required to blow down the pipe for 10 seconds to clear any loose debris, then open the abrasive valve for 20 seconds to begin the blast process and finish by blowing air only once more for 10 seconds to clear any abrasive or dust from the tube.

Equipment Solution:
Three portable bulk blast machines were each equipped with a control panel that housed a micro PLC with integrated screen interface. The PLC controlled each line individually with the signal from the electric deadman. The operator would actuate the deadman handle when in place and the PLC would active the grit and air valves with the appropriate timing intervals.

Part Handling:
Each bulk blast machine (160 cubic feet capacity) was mounted to a trailer with military hitch so that the system could be moved around the worksite. The control system was mounted to trailer and an extension cord supplying 110VAC power would power the panel.

Advantages & Selling Features:
The control system provided consistent cleaning results for all of the tubes and also increased production by not requiring the operator to manually toggle the system between a blow down and grit blast mode. The micro PLC could be used to easily change the time settings in the field if the operators required a change to their blast/cleaning times.

Special Options:
Included external connections on the control panel to run power using a standard extension cord and quick couplings to connect the electric deadman handles once in the field.