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Straaltechniek UK Mobile Pre-Heat & Drying Tunnel for Structural Steel Painting

For two centuries Hall & Pickles have supplied Steel throughout the UK and today they hold a comprehensive range of general steel and strip mill products with full stock coverage of popular sizes in all major product groups. Through seven generations of the Hall family, Hall & Pickles has evolved through consistent investment and innovation into the market leader they are today.

With over a 100 years combined experience Straaltechniek UK Ltd offer many services into the surface preparation industry including manufacture and supply of equipment, new or 2nd hand refurbished, aftermarket spares, and equipment modernisation as well as maintenance support through service contracts and breakdown cover.

 

For over 15 years both companies have worked closely together with Straaltechniek UK providing technical support as well as spares and servicing for the shot blasting process. Hall & Pickles at their Gateshead plant utilise site are 2 roller conveyor shot blasting machines, one of which was supplied and installed by Straaltechniek UK, and play an integral part to the services and products Hall & Pickles offer to their customers. Throughout this time of working together the relationship between supplier and customer has gone from strength to strength which has led to Straaltechniek UK being able to assist with more than just the shot blasting process.

 

Straaltechniek’s UK Sales Manager James Lees was contacted to provide assistance for the process that follows shot blasting as the steel then has to be painted prior to cutting. Discussions were held through various methods of communication, which many companies have become more and more familiar with over the last few years due to the difficult pandemic period with supporting site visits when and where necessary.

 

The issue of steel temperatures play an important factor prior to applying a water-based paint product, especially through the winter months. Questions on how the steel can be brought up to an ideal temperature prior to applying water-based paint were asked from which ideas were discussed and a potential solution was presented to Hall & Pickles.

 

With the assistance and support of Straaltechniek’s paint specialist this potential solution to pre-heat the steel, was developed further to provide Hall & Pickles with a continuous method of being able to heat 2 batches of steel one after the other.

The machine was designed to traverse on a track backwards and forwards over a 40mtr span to enable 18mtr lengths of steel to be pre-heated  to the correct temperature and then to automatically move over the 2nd batch of steel  whilst the first batch is manually painted. The capabilities of the bespoke equipment developed even further as it was then realised that the machine could not only pre-heat the steel, but could be utilised as a dual purpose machine by acting as a drying tunnel post paint.

Jay Dorling, Sales Director at Straaltechniek UK said “At first glance this was a tricky enquiry that turned into a simple solution. With the support of our painting & drying specialist and the input of Hall & Pickles the Straaltechniek UK mobile Pre-Heat & Drying System was born and after commissioning trials a complete success”

 Steve Paul, Group Operations Director at Hall & Pickles said “The acquisition of this bespoke heating and drying tunnel solution, has allowed us as a business to react and move very quickly into providing our customers with a water base paint product without having to purchase a fully automated heat / paint treatment line, with already having two fully functioning shot blasters on site, albeit without a heating facility.  We are pleased with our new investment and thank Straaltechniek for their professional approach in meeting our needs”.

 

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