Compressed Air Dryer for Shipyards

Do you use compressed air to sandblast and apply coatings to water towers, ships, or storage tanks?   If so, a portable compressed air dryer is a valuable part of your equipment set-up.

Ships enter dry dock every few years for inspection and repairs.  These repairs may include abrasive blasting and re-painting of the entire hull. Compressed air is used for both procedures.  Compressing air produces high humidity and condensation in the air line. This moisture clogs blast pots, damages nozzles, and ruins coatings.  To prevent these problems the compressed air must be dried to a dew point at least 10⁰ F below ambient temperature. (Smart contractors understand the difference between an air dryer and a moisture separator.)  The compressors and compressed air dryers used in shipyards must be portable so they can be moved between sections of the ship.  The Van Air Systems Blast Pak is an ideal solution for portable compressed air drying for shipyard applications.

Other job sites where portable air dryers are vital include water towers, tank farms, and off-shore platforms.  These assets must all be re-painted from time to time.  Paint contractors are increasingly using low VOC acrylic latex primers and paints.  Moisture in the compressed air will act like a thinner and reduce the viscosity of the paint.  Wet compressed air also reduces the uniformity of paint thickness.  That makes passing an ultrasonic thickness test, which is often contractually required, challenging or impossible without an air.

To avoid costly re-work and re-inspections install an air dryer before pulling the trigger on that spray gun.