Titan Abrasive Creates Customized Blast Room For Framatome’s N.A. Headquarters
Will Be Integral Part of Framatome’s Nuclear Motor Refurbishment Business; Location of Blast Room Eliminates Potential for Radioactive Contamination
IVYLAND, PA (March 24, 2022) – Titan Abrasive Systems, a manufacturer of quality surface preparation, surface finishing and sandblasting equipment, announced the purchase of a highly customized blast room by Framatome, an international leader in nuclear energy.
The blast room, located in Framatome’s North American headquarters in Lynchburg, VA, will be used to refurbish and recondition nuclear coolant pump motors, which help move coolant around the primary circuit of a nuclear reactor core to prevent overheating. The new blast room replaces an eight-year old blast booth that was meant to be used on a temporary basis.
The new blast room required very stringent specifications due to its interaction with hazardous (radioactive) material. Previously, a driver would back the rear section of a specialized tractor trailer into the old blast room in order to unload the oversized motors with an overhead crane, then forklift the motor into the blast room. However, the blast room first had to be thoroughly cleaned so that the tractor trailer didn’t get any hazardous waste on its tires. This proved to be an extremely time-consuming and costly process.
Ultimately, Framatome wanted crane access into the blast room so that the use of the tractor trailer and forklift could be eliminated. Titan resolved this by strategically relocating the blast booth to an area served by the overhead crane, while keeping the dust collection equipment in the original area due to very tight space constraints.
Titan added a custom HEPA filter to the outlet of the dust collector, elevated 12 feet above the floor to avoid stirring up hazardous dust from the floor. Accompanying the HEPA filter was a Photohelic® gage, used to measure differential pressures of air; a light tower and an alarm will activate in the event of an emergency condition.
“This was a very tedious design/build due to all the space constraints and hazardous aspects of the materials,” noted Brandon Acker, president of Titan Abrasive Systems. “But we didn’t shy away from the challenge. We worked closely with Framatome to ensure that the new blast room met all of their requirements – not just for now but far into the future.”
Tony Wood, Pump & Motors Operations Manager at Framatome, is more than pleased with the performance of the Titan blast room.
“Refurbishing motors for nuclear reactors is a tricky business, and every piece of equipment used in the process has to perform exactly as planned,” he explained. “That includes the blast room, which plays such an integral part in the overall operation. From every perspective – safety, functionality, and quality of the finished product – our Titan blast room has been up to the task.”
Refurbishment of nuclear reactor coolant pump motors is a critical element in Framatome’s service offerings. In fact, Framatome has refurbished in excess of 100 reactor coolant motors across the nuclear fleet.
ABOUT FRAMATOME
Framatome is an international leader in nuclear energy recognized for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for the global nuclear fleet. With worldwide expertise and a proven track record for reliability and performance, the company designs, services and installs components, fuel, and instrumentation and control systems for nuclear power plants. Its more than 14,000 employees work every day to help Framatome’s customers supply ever cleaner, safer and more economical low-carbon energy. For more information, visit www.framatome.com.
ABOUT TITAN ABRASIVE SYSTEMS
Founded in 1953, Titan Abrasive designs and manufactures quality surface preparation, surface finishing and sandblasting equipment at an affordable price. In fact, Titan is the industry’s only manufacturer of abrasive blasting equipment to sell directly to their customers, resulting in significant savings.
The company’s client base ranges from industry giants such as GE Aviation, the United States Army, and Lockheed-Martin to small businesses across the country in a wide spectrum of vertical markets. Titan prides itself on exceptional customer service, innovative engineering, and on-the-ground installers who ensure that the company’s blast rooms, blast cabinets, and other components are properly installed and working to peak efficiency. For more information, visit www.titanabrasive.com.
Media Contact
To book Brandon Acker, President of Titan Abrasive, for an exclusive interview or as a podcast guest, please contact Art Sesnovich, Bulldog Communications, at 508-485-0776 or email art@bulldog-communications.com.
