Surface Treatments Machine – Retexturing Lancashire County

The machines shown in this paper embrace the latest available computer, hydrological and
aeronautical technology to produce the most technically advanced devices of their type
available in the world.
Very highly engineered pumps and plumbing systems are utilized to ensure constant flow and
variable pressure. Aeronautical technology has been used in producing sufficient airflow’s to
enable the water and surface debris to be recovered at the point of treatment.
The entire system is computer managed and hydrostatically driven, thus providing accurate
control of working speed (0-10 KM/Hour) and water pressure.
These machines treat pavement surfaces from 2.5 – 3.9 meters width depending on the
particular unit concerned. The finished surface is uniform in appearance.
Rotating jets, hydraulically driven, impart directed and controlled water at pressures between
100 and 2000 bar and through a variety of jet nozzle types depending upon the activity. Water
flow rates vary from-29 – 140liters per minute, again, depending upon the particular activity to
hand.
As the ‘water blasting’ system unerringly does it’s job, the highly efficient vacuum system
immediately collects the used water and debris, (crucially) at the point of treatment,
through primary and secondary recovery systems by way of a powerful vacuum generated by
a 900mm fan rated at 90 kW, which produces 30,000m3/h or air volume at 265 per hour.
The latest unit being operated in Europe

has two ventilators producing a total of
60000 M3 of airflow thus affording remarkable rates of waste recovery.
There is a direct correlation between motive speed, pump pressure, rotating head speed and
jet type and size for each activity and the degree of difficulty of the task to hand. The
computer management system is fed the appropriate information and after a few seconds, the
operator’s role is one of steering and monitoring.
The highway surface is subjected to testing before treatment to ascertain ski resistance and
surface texture. With this information, the highway engineer can decide the areas that need to
be treated and the contractor can input the required water pressure and driving speed into the
computer. These components are able to be adjusted to a fine degree at a touch of a button.

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