C&C Marine blasts 100th barge

Nine months after opening its high-tech Robotic Paint and Blasting facility, C&C Marine and Repair of Belle Chasse, La., announced it has blasted its 100th barge. “We knew we had the capability to blast and paint barges quickly and efficiently, but what we’ve been able to accomplish in these first nine months has exceeded our expectations in both speed and quality of blast” says C&C Marine and Repair’s owner Tony Cibilich. C&C Marine utilizes a total of nine enclosed fabrication bays, totaling over 500,000 square feet of space under roof. The entire fabrication yard sits on more than 80 acres on Algiers Canal with 3,200 linear feet of continuous water-frontage along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Two of the covered bays are dedicated to the Robotic Blasting and Paint facility. The climate-controlled facility can accommodate barges up to 320 feet, and has the capability to blast and paint a standard 30,000 Barrel Tank Barge or two 10,000 BTBs in 7-to-10 days. Taking barges costs C&C’s customers money, so doing it “quickly is very important.” says Mike Wade, manager of blasting operations. The fully-automated robotic blasting system can blast two standard inland hopper barges in 36 hours. The robotic facility represents C&C’s commitment to adopting new technology and employing best practices, particularly as it relates to protecting the environment. Its air filtration system collects and encapsulates more than 99 percent of all airborne particulates associated with the blast and paint process. (Source: Marine Link 08/21/19)