When rope access is the best solution

Cleaning silos is an everyday task for BUCHEN and one that can be performed quickly and effi-ciently with high pressure water jetting technology. Sometimes, though, projects involve more unusual situations as was the case recently at a chemicals site. After having professionally emptied and cleaned a silo, the team found themselves facing an approx. 4m² area of staining that their conven-tional systems were unable to remove. Normally, the only option here is to set up scaffolding so that the operatives can reach the soiled area – a time-consuming endeavour. BUCHEN suggested an alternative method, namely to deploy its team of rope access technicians. Having checked all safety aspects and drawn up a suitable concept, the industrial climbers then used rope access technology to enter the silo and work on the stained section using a glass bead blasting system.

This was the first time that this chemicals company had worked with BUCHEN’s rope access specialists and they were certainly impressed by this collaborative project. Just a few weeks later, the work at height specialists were commissioned to carry out a further project – this one involving a greater number of tasks. Once they had emptied and cleaned a second silo, the three-person team of rope access technicians then blasted and polished the stainless steel lower section of the silo with glass beads. Following this, they renewed the old coating in line with a bespoke concept they had drawn up together with XERVON Oberflächentechnik, the Group’s surface technology specialists. The industrial climbers first prepared the surface by sweep blasting the old coating, before applying a new epoxy resin-based coat. The work on the silo, an 11m high and 7m wide structure, was completed within around two weeks. Extraordinary skills can, therefore, clearly create additional advantages – both in exceptional situations as well for regular maintenance work.