Our specialists have received an unusual order to clean a silo for which there is no conventional cleaning concept. The client turned to us because a cadmium-satin patina had formed on the inner walls of the silo, which was coated with V4A stainless steel and is considered irreversible. The challenge was to treat this effect by means of a chemical-physical reaction in such a way that no damage was caused to the silo system. As the operator of the plant requested the utmost discretion, we are unable to provide any precise information about the method used.
The high-risk operation took place at temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius and posed a particular risk to people and materials. The work inside the silo was very demanding and required rope access activities at high temperatures. Our Managing Director Matthias Natusch personally carried out the work as an expert surveyor and led the team. However, thanks to a safety concept and emergency plan that had been drawn up, there was never an uncalculated risk.
The health of our specialists was our company’s greatest asset during this work. Therefore, all relevant values such as blood sugar, heart rate monitor and lactate measurements were checked during the work and documented in the safety protocol. An exemplary safety concept was developed before work began, taking into account the extreme temperatures, chemical volatility and reaction speed, staff fatigue and break and recovery times.
The cleaning of the deposits inside the silo was carried out safely and gently by our team of experts. The job was carried out cleanly, competently and, above all, accident-free. You can find more information about our company’s scope of services for silo cleaning on our website. The specialists from NT SERVICE GMBH were entrusted with a special order that presented an extraordinary challenge. A silo with a V4A stainless steel coating had formed a disturbing cadmium satin patina on the inner walls, which was considered irreversible and exceeded conventional cleaning concepts.
Together with the operator of the plant, our experts developed a chemical-physical process that made it possible to remove the patina without leaving any residue and without damaging the silo system. The job took place on one of the hottest days of the year with outside temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius, which made the high-risk job even more difficult. Managing Director Matthias Natusch personally carried out and supervised the work to ensure the safety of the employees. Working inside the silo in a Cat. II chemical protection suit was a particular challenge for people and materials.
The safety concept included permanent monitoring of blood sugar, heart rate monitor and lactate measurement as well as meticulous documentation of all values. Despite the extreme conditions, the job was carried out cleanly, confidently and accident-free. The scope of the job cannot be described in detail due to confidentiality. Further information on silo cleaning can be found on the NT SERVICE GMBH website.
