Pollution-free grit-blasting

Press, 24 June 1986, Page 29

Pollution-free grit-blasting

The grit-blasting booth at Rowe Sandblasters’ Bromley premises is the largest and most up-to-date in the South Island. Designed by Wayne Rowe, it is 14m long, 4m high, and 6m wide, capable of handling very big items.

A great deal of money and effort have been spent to make Rowe’s grit-blasting completely pollution-free. The result is a process which emits nothing into the atmosphere.

Particles are withdrawn from the work area by a 10,000cfm extraction unit. They are passed through a huge water tank where all contaminants — flakes of paint, rust and so on — are removed, to be later

dumped.

The contaminant-free grit is then air washed for re-use. Rowe Sandblasters’ pol-lution-free grit-blasting plant has passed all local body inspections. It is the only plant of its kind in Christchurch. Grit-blasting is dangerous, skilled work. The fine steel grit is precipitated at speeds up to 450 kph, and the highly-trained operator must wear full protective gear, including a special, air-fed helmet. The building which houses the booth is swept out twice daily, as Wayne Rowe believes that good housekeeping and a clean environment are essential to the production of highquality work.