By: Nick Jones, Induron Sales Representative
Induron was proud to partner with Industrial Coatings Group and K and K Renovations to renovate Watco Co.’s crane and conveyor system. While the end result was a success, this project presented several challenges.
The Challenges
First, the crane is located directly over the river and is used in loading and unloading barges at the Port of Birmingham. This crane needed to be renovated to stay up to code. In a perfect world, this would have been a routine blast and recoat project. However, because the crane is positioned directly on the water, blasting was going to require significant monetary implications.
Industrial Coatings Group and K and K Renovations turned to Induron for another solution. I immediately thought of E-Bond 100 and its ability to work in less-than-ideal surface preparation situations. 
Why E-Bond 100?
When blasting is not practical or economically feasible, like in this particular project, E-Bond 100 Penetrating Sealer seals and unifies the surface of the substrate allowing the application of an appropriate coating system.The very low surface tension and penetrating properties of E-Bond 100 will bond rust, penetrate discontinuities and holidays in old coatings and provide exceptional adhesion to any aged, corroded, or rusted substrate. The penetrating action will reinforce and bond heavy rust. Essentially, when you need to lockdown and seal your substrate, E-Bond 100 is a truly unique product to get the job done.
The Solution
After talking with the owner Watco and Kenny Roper of ICG, we devised a plan, which started with a high-pressure water blast and an SSPC-SP2 hand tool clean surface prep. The specified coating system consisted of a prime coat of E-bond 100, an intermediate coat of Perma Clean II Epoxy, and a top coat of Indurethane 6600 Polyurethane.
The E-bond 100% solids material in thin film established a super slow drying process, which allowed the material to work its way into all the hard-to-reach places on the project – perfect for this minimally-prepared surface! E-bond enabled us to confidently work on this project without having to full blast the substrate. A full blast at this location was going to add more than $100,000 in cost to the project due to its location on the river. Fortunately, a full three coat system was able to give this crane an effective corrosion protective system!
