On Aug. 31, 2022, the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) hosted a grand opening ceremony for its new spray and blast training hub in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
The state-of-the-art facility offers a hands-on learning experience to current and future protective coatings professionals, allowing students of all levels to develop and master critical skills, such as surface preparation, safety in painting operations, spray application, and inspection fundamentals.
“It was a wonderful event,” Paul Miller, sales engineer at CASCO USA, says of the grand opening. “The blast booth, compressed air system [supplied by CASCO], and spray booth are picture perfect!”
Benefits of the abrasive blasting booth—which is in compliance with modern safety standards—include a modular design and compact footprint, user friendly controls, remote support capabilities, and easy-to-follow maintenance guidelines.
With one open side, the industrial paint booth is 8’4” (254.0 cm) wide, 8’2” (248.9 cm) tall, and 11’2” (340.4 cm) long. The booth for blasting was manufactured by Langtry Blast Technologies Inc., while the booth for spraying was manufactured by Pittsburgh Spray Equipment Co. The project’s general contractor was Bear IC.
Going forward, the facility can be used in many AMPP courses, including:
- Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 1 Course/Basic Coatings Inspector Certification
- Abrasive Blaster Certification (C7)
- Concrete Coating Application Specialist (CCAS) Course
- Ground Vehicle Corrosion/Protective Coatings (GROUND VEH) Course
- Pipeline Coating Applicator (PCA) Training
- Spray Application Certification (C12)
The complex is sponsored by industry partners, including BlastOne, Carboline, Ervin Steel Shot and Grit, GVS-RPB, Sherwin-Williams, and TerryNew LLC. The facility, which aims to provide on-site and on-demand training for the next generation of skilled craftworkers and coating inspectors, comes outfitted with updated blasting and painting equipment. This equipment was primarily donated by AMPP members, as well.
“It is always an honor to be part of a group that is promoting safety and good practices,” says Chris Sferra, Northeast health and safety sales manager at GVS-RPB. “Everyone I met had nothing but the best interest of the participants at heart. I was proud that GVS-RPB was a sponsor and that I was able to represent them at such an event and meet such good people.”
The facility was constructed over a period of approximately three months earlier this year. The first CIP class to use the new blast/spray lab did so, successfully, in June 2022.
With the facility’s construction, the association now has three dedicated training centers around the world: one each in Houston, Dubai, and AMPP’s Pittsburgh Career Development Center.
From introductory courses to advanced specialty programs, AMPP’s training is designed to provide students with practical skills and knowledge for careers in coatings, corrosion, cathodic protection, and beyond. Overall, AMPP trains more than 15,000 students each year while offering more than 1,300 courses, including at least 20 in an online format. AMPP also has more than 50 licensee partners delivering its courses globally.
Valued at $13.5 billion and growing, the protective coatings and anticorrosion market needs more qualified and certified professionals today. AMPP believes this new training facility will enable thousands of individuals each year to receive the training they need to pursue career growth in this stable and financially rewarding field.
Source: AMPP, www.ampp.org.