Back in August the Laser Team based out of the Surry Nuclear Power Plant in Surry, VA—a crew whose sole job is to operate their CL1000 laser cleaning system—visited the V.C. Summer Power Plant in Jenkinsville, SC. While there, the team alongside two of our nuclear sales managers, demonstrated the system’s effectiveness for power plant applications. The demo was organized by management at the Surry Plant who wanted to use their laser as a “shared resource” with other plants to introduce the technology and to let them see the benefits of laser cleaning firsthand.
Early Adopters of Laser Cleaning Technology
How Did The Surry Plant Come Across Laser Cleaning?
CL1000
Prior to purchasing their CL1000 laser cleaning system, the Surry Plant was a customer of Norton Sandblasting who supplies grit and other abrasive blasting equipment. Dave Norton, the owner of Norton Sandblasting, was actually the first customer to purchase a CL1000 system from us in 2009 before adding a second CL1000 system to his repertoire not long after.
In 2018, after years of promoting the laser systems to Dominion, Norton had a request for a laser on-site at the Surry Plant for plant personnel to witness the process in-person. Management and plant leaders immediately saw how the laser process would provide significant time savings, reduce operator safety concerns, and be more environmentally friendly than traditional methods.
Plant management was aware that other nuclear plant operators had already started implementing the technology in their own facilities and used that as a motivating factor in deciding to go through with the purchase of the CL1000 in July of 2019. The Surry Plant have taken their efforts to another level over the past few years, designating a 6-man, dedicated laser team.
Benefits of A Dedicated Laser Team Include:
- Team specialists will gain experience with each new application and project that they can build on, increasing proficiency, efficiency, and consistency
- Your dedicated laser team will become the subject matter experts at your plant and can help identify new ways to use the laser
- With specialized operators who are trained and ready to use the system, you’re safeguarding your investment in the laser and will use the system to it’s full potential
On-Site At V.C. Summer Power Plant
The effiSCAN
Over the course of a day and a half, the laser team joined by two of our sales experts were able to demonstrate the CL1000 in front of plant management, corporate executives, the safety & engineering teams, and production personnel. Our sales team provided a safety briefing and in a shop environment was able to ablate on a wide range of painted and corroded parts.
Ultimately the demo was a success with the plant management at V.C. Summer seeing firsthand the same sort of advantages that laser cleaning offer for nuclear applications. Being on-site was convenient as it gave the leaders and key decision makers a chance to ask all the questions they have in real-time, learn about specific nuclear applications that could benefit them, and get explanations on our other options—such as the effiSCAN—our ultra-compact handheld laser optic.
Current Nuclear Applications Include:
- Hazardous Coating Removal—many of the nuclear power plants were built in the 1960’s/1970’s and therefore contain high levels of lead paint.
- Surface Preparation—preservation is prudent economically and laser ablation prior to repainting and replacing the old lead paint will help to preserve and protect the equipment to maintain reliable plant operations.
- Radiological Decontamination—our laser ablation systems are able to remove fixed low level radiological contamination that resides in coatings and oxides on metal substrates without creating hazardous mixed waste.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LASER CLEANING?
Adapt Laser specializes in providing the highest-quality laser cleaning systems available. Our systems come in both handheld and automated options making them versatile for different coating removal applications and surface preparation. We offer formal laser operations and safety training to ensure both you and your employees get the most out of the laser cleaning system. Our headquarters is in Kansas City, MO but we have sales managers across the country who can travel to your facility for an on-site demo. Over the past 16 years we have equipped numerous companies across varying industries with our state-of-the-art laser cleaning systems.
If you’re looking for a faster, totally unique industrial cleaning and coating removal process, contact us today or call (816) 466-5855 to find the right laser cleaning system for your application.
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