Industrial Cleaning - Auto Parts Mfg. Facility

Date Completed: June 5, 2012
Category: general
Location: St. Marys, OH

Allied was contracted by a major auto parts manufacturer located in St. Marys, Ohio to complete industrial cleaning activities as part of scheduled facility maintenance during winter shutdown. To maintain the highest quality of their finished products, the manufacturer regularly services and cleans facility surfaces and equipment. The scheduled work for this project included the following:

Oven Cleaning - This portion of the project involved the removal of debris and dust from the interiors of three industrial curing ovens. The goal was to eliminate visible particulate to prevent defects in the cured finishes of products passing through the ovens.

Allied crews utilized hand tools, vacuums and tack cloths to clean all interior surfaces (i.e. the oven shell, conveyors and vent slots). The ovens were inspected by the client, with Allied meeting all cleaning criteria.

The oven interiors were considered a permit-required confined space and, therefore, all appropriate confined space entry protocol was followed including atmospheric monitoring. In addition, standard lock-out/tag-out procedures were followed.

Paint Booth Cleaning - This task included the removal of paint overspray that had accumulated on interior surfaces and conveyor track of the facility paint booth. In some areas, the layers of deposited paint exceeded a thickness of 4 inches.

In order to achieve complete removal, Allied systematically froze the paint utilizing dry-ice (CO2). The dry-ice decreased the elasticity of the paint build-up, rendering it brittle and easily fractured. Allied then employed powered hammers to break and remove the paint.

The waste material was drummed and properly disposed of as non-hazardous waste.

X-ray Booth Trench Cleaning - In addition to scheduled project work, Allied responded to an issue discovered during shutdown activities.

Trade workers installing utilities in the manufacturing area discovered a trench containing trace quantities of machining coolant and metals debris. To be proactive and safety-conscious, the client asked Allied to clean the trench so that it could be safely occupied by workers.

Allied responded immediately, deploying a mobile wash truck and vacuum truck to the facility. Allied assisted in the removal of the trench covers by utilizing a magnetic crane. The interior surfaces of the trench were then power washed and all materials and wash water were evacuated from the trench utilizing a vac-truck.

The collected waste was transported to an offsite facility for disposal as non-hazardous waste.

Dust Removal - Facility operations result in the creation of fine particulate (dust), which accumulates on the structural ceiling rafters, suspended electrical bus bars, the tops of furnaces and surfaces of other equipment. The client regularly removes the accumulated dust to prevent potential safety and quality issues.

To prevent potential electric shock while working near bus bars and facility lights, power to the manufacturing area was turned off and the Allied technicians used generators to power portable lights, vacuums and other necessary equipment. The project was completed during night shifts so that the daytime work of other trades would not interrupted.

Allied utilized a total of seven articulating boom lifts to access the affected areas. Hand tools and filtered vacuums were used to remove accumulated dust from horizontal surfaces throughout the manufacturing area. The project required the use of proper PPE (protective suits, respirators and fall-protection harnesses). In addition, lock-out/tag-out procedures were strictly followed to ensure that electrical systems and manufacturing equipment remained de-energized throughout the project.

Allied successfully completed all required industrial cleaning activities safely, and within all time and budgetary constraints.