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Home / VertiDrive Magnetic Blasting Robots Buying Guide

The VertiDrive Industrial Blasting Robot

Perhaps the most revolutionary product to be introduced in the last 25 years, the VertiDrive blasting robot keeps your crew both out of harm’s way, and the billowing dust, while offering productivity 5X that of a standard blaster.

Use up to 3 Nozzles
Accommodates up to three (3) #8 nozzles

Animated VertiBlasting Long shot

Automate Timing and Speed
Set the reach, pace, and crawl of the robot.

Walls. Floors.  Even Ceilings.
Powerful enough to hang upside down.

Keeps Operator Out of Harm’s Way
Heights, noise, dust, back-thrust – all avoided.

Vertidrive in operation

INFORMATION REQUEST

Tell us about your project

UHP Vacuum Head
Contains the removed coatings and contaminants

Ultra High Pressure
Surface Cleaning Without Abrasives

Pressure Washing
Fast and Powerful Single Operator Solution

VertiDrive Overview

VertiDrive Tank Blasting
VertiDrive Tank Blasting
VertiDrive Tank Blasting

3 Reasons contractors love the Vertidrive remote-controlled blasting robot.

  • 3X faster than a single blaster with production rates up to 350 sqft per hour.
  • Save money by eliminating cost of scaffolding for high surfaces.
  • Safety is improved by distancing the operator from the nozzle as well as eliminating the need for elevated blasting

Below are 7 insights to help the operator maximize production rates when driving the VertiDrive unit:

1. Optimize the DRIVING speed

The speed of the VertiDrive is an important factor in productivity.  Too fast, and there will be bands of the surface that are under blasted.  Too slow and there will be overlapping swings of the arm where you are effectively blasting the surface twice.

2. optimize the swingarm speed

Alongside the speed of the robot, the speed of the swingarm is also crucial. If the swingarm is too slow the robot is basically over blasting the surface. If the swingarm is set too fast, it may under blast and not achieve the necessary profile. Setting the optimal swingarm pace can accomplish the necessary profile in a single swing.

3. AUTOMATE WITH the step time function

The VertiDrive robot will automatically advance itself after each swing is finished.

4. Improve your visibility

Oftentimes, the VertiDrive will be quite a distance from the operator below and due to this distance and blast dust, it’s difficult to determine if the speed of the swing arm and robot are optimally blasting the surface.  Two ways to counter this visual impairment is by using a low dust media like GMA Garnet as well setting the robots speeds at an eye-level view to test for optimal setup.  If the robot’s pacing is found to be optimal at the lower level you can see, you can trust the same is occurring at distant heights or beneath the dust cloud.

5. Ensure proper equipment maintenance

Proper maintenance will ensure the VertiDrive experiences minimal downtime as well as performs safely during operation. If you don’t schedule your maintenance, your equipment will schedule it for you.

6.  Train your operators

A properly trained operator will understand which situations, surfaces, curvatures, etc are problematic, unsafe, or outside the capabilities of the robot.  Trained personnel help to promote productivity and safety on job sites.

7. Connect to your blast pot

Consider connecting the VertiDrive robot to the blast pot.  Doing so allows remote activation and termination of the blast pot so you don’t have to scream at your colleague.  It also improves safety by allowing operators to remotely shut off the pressure if something goes wrong.

Is the Vertidrive right for my project?

The following are key indicators in determining whether the Vertidrive is a solution for your project.

  1.  Project Size – due to the rental cost and one week minimum, renting the Vertidrive becomes cost effective on projects 10,000 ft2 and greater.

  2.  We recommend a 1600 cfm compressor to utilize a 3-nozzle set-up.

  3.  As the robot adheres to the wall via a magnet, the substrate needs to be magnetic, with a plate thickness of 3/8″ minimum.  1/4″ steel is not recommended.

  4.  Being magnetic, you cannot use steel grit or shot.  It will quickly coat the magnet and eventually cause it to dislodge from the surface.

  5.   Storage Tanks need a minimum 15ft diameter to allow the robot to run sideways.

Valuable Considerations

  1.  The Vertidrive will typically blast approximately 85%-90% of a storage tank.  Hand blasting will still be required to touch up difficult areas, stairs, rails, or welds possibly under-blasted due to the angle of the nozzles.

  2.  The Vertidrive can effectively traverse welds or plate laps up to 5/8″ high.  Anything greater can cause the robot to detach from the surface.

  3.  The Vertridrive is safe-guarded on vertical surfaces by a safety retractable line.  It requires 3 SRL’s to operate upside down on the underside of a floating roof tank or bottom of a ship.

Case Studies

ABRASIVE CONSUMPTION REDUCED BY 80% BY USING UHP

Application: Tank Coating removal

Equipment: Vertidrive M4

VERTIDRIVE BLASTS GIGANTIC WATER TANK

Client: Yarra Water Valley

Location: Doncaster East, Victoria, Australia

Application: Tank Coating removal

Equipment: Vertidrive M4

VertiDrive:  STORAGE TANK 290 ft2/hr to NACE 3 Finish

Client: BP

Location: Queensland, Australia

Industry: Oil & Gas

Equipment: VertiDrive M7

VERTIDRIVE BLASTS LEACH TANK 50% FASTER

 Client: BHP

Location: Olympic Dam, Australia

Industry: Oil & Gas

Equipment: Two VertiDrives M7

IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTIVITY RATE OF 333 FT2/HR

Client: GMD Shipyard
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Equipment: Two VertiDrives M7

LABOR COSTS SLASHED BY 50% FOR TANK PROJECT USING VERTIDRIVE

Client: Quincy Industrial Painting
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Iowa, USA
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 / 6T Bulk Pot

M7 DELIVERS 260 FT2/HR DURING SPHERICAL TANK PROJECT

Client: Brock Services
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Baytown, Texas
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 / 6T Bulk AmphiBlast Pot

PRODUCTIVITY 3X (TRIPLES) ON JET FUEL TANK PROJECT

Client: Graham Industrial Coatings
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 / AmphiBlast Bulk Pot

M7 ACHIEVES A STUNNING 400 FT2/HR

Client: Brock
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Equipment: VertiDrive M7

VERTIDRIVE M7 LEADS TO 40% REDUCTION IN LABOR COSTS ON NAVY VESSEL PROJECT

Client: Eptec
Industry: Naval
Location: Australia
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 / AmphiBlast Bulk Pot

NAVY HULL PROJECT NEARLY 3X PRODUCTIVITY WITH VERTIDRIVE M4

Client: Eptec
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Australia
Equipment: VertiDrive M4 UHP / NLB 300hp – 10 gallon per minute pump

VERTIDRIVE M7 ACHIEVES PRODUCTIVITY RATE OF 300 FT2/HR

Client: Graham Industrial Coatings
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 / 8T Bulk Pot

VERTIDRIVE M7 BLASTING ROBOT ACHIEVES 400 SQ FT HOUR

Client: Moore Painting
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Patoka, Illinois USA
Equipment: VertiDrive M7

UHP and VertiDrive M7 Deliver 1,345 Ft2/Day Productivity

Client: BME Services
Industry: Marine
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 UHP / 2500 Bar – 6.8 gal (26 l) per minute pump

VertiDrive M4: Average Production Rate of 3,200-4,300 ft2 per 8-Hour Shift

Client: Persy Steel Protection
Industry: Oil & Gas
Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
Equipment: VertiDrive M4 / 2500 bar – 8.5 gal (32 l) per minute pump / Vacuum system

VertiDrive: pressure washing 10, 764 ft2 per day production

Client: Snowy Hydro Penstocks
Location: New South Wales, AU
Equipment: VertiDrive M7 – Pressure Washing

Related Videos

Sandblasting Upside Down On Ship

BlastOne VertiDrive Blasting Robot

VertiDrive for High Pressure Cleaning

Taking Hose off the VertiDrive

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do you offer jobsite demonstrations?

    Due to supply and demand and the freight cost of shipping the robot with its container, this is typically not possible.  We invite all those interested to attend our next Demo Day where we exhibit all the latest and greatest blasting innovations and can let your team get hands on the equipment and see it in action.  Here is the link to our Technology Day info and calendar.
  • What size compressor do I need?

    We recommend a 1600 cfm to fully utilize all three nozzles.  Smaller compressors can work, however we cannot guarantee production numbers.

  • Do you offer training with rental/purchase?

    Yes.  For first time rentals or purchase we provide training.  This is a two (2) day hands-on training which covers the requisite set-up needed to achieve the production outputs.  We cover the VertiDrive,  blasting equipment, compressors, and air dryers.  During this time, the tech support doesn’t run the robot, but oversees your team handling the controls.  They are taught how to blast, start, stop, and basic trouble-shooting.

    There is a fee for this training. Estimate between $5,000 – $7,500.

  • Can the robot blast upside down?

    Yes.  The VertiDrive can blast vertically, horizontally, and even upside down.
  • How does the robot adhere to the surface?

    The robot has 2 strong magnets on the underside carriage.  These are earth magnets – not powered by electricity.  Therefore, should you lose power to the jobsite, the robot will not detach from the wall.
  • Is this hung by a cable?

    No, it uses a safety retractable line, to protect it from falling.

    You can use a winch system to hold the hoses when you are blasting over 40ft high.

  • What happens if the robot detaches from the wall while blasting?

    The robot has a proximity switch monitoring its distance from the surface… so if it comes loose, the system will shut down, preventing the nozzles from indiscriminately blasting abrasive should it swing or fall.

    The robot also needs to have a tie-off point, like a clamp – utilizing a safety retractable line, positioned no greater than thirty (30) feet from the working area.  As the robot cleans the surface and moves to the next work area, this tie-off point should be adjusted accordingly.  This distance is a safety measure and prevents the robot from swinging like a wild pendulum should it detach from the wall.

  • Can it drive over patches and overlaps?

    The machine will drive over 5/8″ welds or laps.  Greater heights can affect both the proximity sensor and magnetic adhesion.
  • How many operators does it take to run the robot?

    One worker can monitor and operate the blasting robot, we would typically recommend having another person onsite to be with the blasting equipment to ensure that all 3 nozzles stay supplied with abrasive and free airflow while blasting.

    You will always need to do some manual blasting, so if your bulk bot has 4 outlets you can always keep another busy doing the cutting in.

  • What is the daily / weekly maintenance involved?

    Maintenance on the Vertidrive is very minimal, just keep the magnets clean. There is nothing to lube as it has all-sealed bearings.

Contact BlastOne

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