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Image Of Pipeline 

 

Pipeline Deleaded Using Shrouded Power Tools

 

PENTEK, INC., manufacturer of multi-tool integrated dustless surface preparation systems, recently delivered a Lead Abatement System to Orion Construction Corporation for use at Andersen AFB in Guam. Andersen AFB is home to the Pacific Air Forces and has been operational since 1945. This delivery marks the third Pentek system deployed to the island of Guam.

Image - lead warningOrion Construction was tasked with removing lead-based paint from the exterior surface of an above ground jet fuel pipeline. The steel pipeline, 7,500 feet in length and 8" in diameter, needed to remain operational throughout removal and repair efforts.

Orion chose to use Pentek's shrouded power tool system which safely removes lead-based coatings and captures the hazardous dust and debris at the cutting edge of vacuum-assisted power tools. These tools utilize a mechanical, air-driven process that cleans surfaces to a bare substrate, while a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtered vacuum collection unit simultaneously captures dust and debris and transports it into an on-board 55-gallon drum. Pentek's system is fully integrated in that it removes, collects, drums and seals the waste in a single step process for safe disposal.

Image of workersIn order for Orion Construction to maintain strict control of dust and particles, PENTEK designed custom shrouding for the Roto-Peen Scaler that allowed the tool to conform to the 8" pipe. This aluminum shroud also minimized the wear and tear on the tool generally associated with tool operation on rounded, sharp or irregular surfaces. Significant increases in productivity were realized while worker fatigue was minimized. The system's strict debris control eliminated the need for expensive containment structures and minimized the need for cumbersome respiratory protective gear.

Area and personal monitoring for airborne lead concentrations were conducted during the deleading project. According to Jun Miguel, Vice-President and General Manager of Orion Construction, "the employees were not exposed to airborne lead concentrations above OSHA's action and permissible exposure limits. Also, the ambient airborne lead concentrations downwind of the work area boundaries were all below the limit of detection."

 VAC-PAC with corner cutters

The 100% mechanical coatings removal system minimizes the amount of waste for disposal by adding nothing to the waste stream and collecting only the dust and debris of the coating itself. A typical lead abatement project employing Pentek's system deposits 2,500 square feet of surface in a single waste drum.

The VAC-PACŪ self-drumming HEPA vacuum unit is capable of running multiple shrouded power tools over 200 ft. away. The shrouded power tools consisted of CORNER-CUTTERŪ needle guns which access seams, edges and around rivets; ROTO-PEENScalers to remove coatings in broad swaths; and Right-Angled ROTO-PEEN Scalers. Pentek's popular Right-Angled ROTO-PEEN Scaler provides access to tighter areas like the interior webbing of an I-beam or stair risers and allows additional production capability and versatility.

"We are very pleased with the performance of the Pentek system on this job," said Jun Miguel. "The system attained production rates as Pentek said it would. The compact size of the Pentek system allowed us to work on narrow areas which may not have been possible for other systems requiring full containment structures."

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