ABSS Pty Ltd (Abrasive Blasting Service & Supplies Pty Ltd)

We had the pleasure of hosting Adam Schofield and Andrew Taplin of Heavy Minerals Limited at our AMPP Industrial Coating Applicator (ICA) training in Melbourne (Aug 12-16, 2024). Heavy is opening their new massive Port Gregory Garnet Project, in Western Australia. Meeting international standards and specifications is crucial for Heavy's Port Gregory Garnet project: - Standards such as those from AMPP (SSPC-AB 1, Mineral and Slag Abrasives), ISO11126-10 (Almandine Garnet) and NAVSEA MIL-PRF-22262C(SH) (Performance Specification - Abrasive Blasting Media, Ship Blast Cleaning). - The role that blast media plays in achieving surface cleanliness & roughness, and also nuisance dust generated during abrasive blasting. - The critical importance of minimising soluble salts to lessen the chance of premature coatings failure. ABSS has signed on as a founding distributor of 15,000 tpa of Heavy’s Garnet, approx. 10% of the total production from the Western Australian Port Gregory Garnet mine. Heavy has pegged more than 60 km's along the Western Australian coast, nearby Port Gregory, and has already identified two world-class deposits, the Port Gregory Garnet Mine and the Redhill Garnet Mine. The following video from Mining.com.au.

Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Heavy Minerals Limited (ASX:HVY) on site at the ABSS Training Facility in Melbourne. Discover how garnet is used in abrasive blasting and learn why meeting international standards is crucial for the company’s Port Gregory project. Watch the latest video featuring CEO Andrew Taplin and Non-Executive Director Aaron Williams as they share insights on this essential process for the mining industry. 👉 Don't miss this deep dive into garnet's role in the industry. Watch now: https://hubs.ly/Q02Mkw5l0 #MiningNews #ASXStocks #Garnet #HeavyMinerals ABSS Pty Ltd (Abrasive Blasting Service & Supplies Pty Ltd)

ABSS and NDPI and Industrial Blasting and Painting Education We are excited to announce a new industry partnership agreement between Abrasive Blasting Service and Supplies Pty Ltd (ABSS) and the National Institute of Painting and Decorating (NPDI). Together, we are committed to advancing industrial blasting and painting education and training across Australia. This collaboration will enhance our collective efforts to promote nationally recognized training in the industrial painting industry. NPDI has trained over 3000 painting applicators and manages the successful www.painters.edu.au website. NDPI deliver the MSM30216 Certificate III in Surface Preparation and Coating Application, a traineeship designed for professional industrial painters delivered working in manufacturing, mining and shipping industry, and delivered over a period of 2.5 years. ABSS is a leading Australian manufacturer of surface preparation equipment and operates an industrial blasting and painting training facility in Melbourne. ABSS is also licensee for the AMPP Industrial Coating Applicator (ICA), which consists of one full week (40 hours) of industrial blasting and spraying content. For more info please contract Aaron Williams, CEO of ABSS (aaron.williams@abss.net.au) or Daniel Wurm, Managing Director & Lead Trainer of NPDI (www.painters.edu.au)

It’s a wrap – we’ve completed our first AMPP: Association for Materials Protection and Performance Industrial Coating Applicator (ICA) program 12-16 August 2024, in Tullamarine, Melbourne. To close out the week-long blast and spraying program, attendees were responsible for coating their panels they had previously prepped and dry abrasive blasted, which included applying a stripe coat, spraying under coat, applying a second stripe coat and finally spraying the top coat. Congrats to the students completing the program: - Melbourne Sandblasting & Spray: David Grosso - Central Vic Restorations: Kristopher Allan - Veolia: Matthew Pattinson and Tessa Lester; - Duratec: Jim Ragg and Graham Hudson; - Spray Blast Inspect: Daniel Calvisi and John Schmidt - Syntech: James Henderson - Heavy Minerals Limited: Adam Schofield and Andrew Taplin Special thanks to glenn tamone (for Graco support) and Campbell Osborne (for Elcometer support) for their participation and support in the final two days of the program. A huge thank you to Lead Instructor Kristopher Kemper for making the long trip from Oklahoma to support our efforts. Stay tuned for our next scheduled AMPP ICA event, which we expect will be held in Tullamarine Melbourne before the end of this year. Please contact ABSS at 1300 727 240 or info@ABSS.net.au to reserve your place.

We’re pleased to post our midweek photo’s from our first AMPP: Association for Materials Protection and Performance Industrial Coating Applicator (ICA) program, underway at our facility at 42 Lillee Crescent, Tullamarine, Vic 3043, Australia. Training of the large group of blasting and spraying students is well under way under the watchful eye of our lead instructor, Kristopher Kemper, and today was the capstone event of the abrasive blasting portion of the program: - Each student is responsible for using prepping their own panels (rounding off edges and eliminating any weld spatter and other defects); - Abrasive blasting their panel (using garnet) to a minimum of near white metal SSPC-SP 10 surface standard (SA2.5); and - Conducting their own QC – assessing the class of blast, anchor profile and residual salt contamination (Bresle – ISO 8502-6 and ISO 8502-9). The aim of the training is to promote proper blast-paint applicator knowledge & skills to avoid premature coatings failure. Poor or improper application is estimated to account for up to 70% of premature coatings failures. Special thanks to Phil Chester, Jon Oswald and Jason Ahern for participating and supporting the event regarding Bristle Blasting, RPB-GVS respirator PPE and Elcometer test instruments, and also Dean Wall for dropping in to support the event. Students will complete the week and receive an AMPP Certificate of Completion and Professional Development Hours (PDH) credits.

Are you checking your blast media quality before application? We recommend two common tests for each new batch of blast media you receive. Visual Vial Test This simple test looks for oil and dust contamination in your blast media. ASTM D7393 describes the standardised test for oil in abrasives, and is recommended for each shift. In the example below, we agitated 50ml of garnet and 100ml of demineralised water, allowed to rest for 30 minutes or so, and then visually inspected to test for the amount of dust in your blast media. Soluble Conductivity Test for Non-Visible Contaminants The more important test is described by ASTM D4940 abrasive soluble conductivity test, which measures total dissolved salts in your blast media. This widely used 10 minute test requires 300ml of blast media and 300ml of demineralised water, and after the prescribed agitation testing the soluble conductivity. In the example pictured below we’re using the easily available Horiba reader supplied by Elcometer. The typical maximum acceptable limit set by the international oil and gas industry (an industry that typically demands a high specification) is 150 µS/cm, the US navy sets the maximum limit of 290 µS/cm [MIL-PRF-22262C(SH)], and in our experience general industry is around 250 µS/cm. It goes without saying that testing early is far preferable than checking after blasting. If your blast media fails – it’s a chance to invite your blast media supplier in for a discussion – and replace the media. Contact us if you want to know more, Australia wide 1300 727 240 or email info@ABSS.net.au.

Are you checking your blast media quality before application? We recommend two common tests for each new batch of blast media you receive. Visual Vial Test This simple test looks for oil and dust contamination in your blast media. ASTM D7393 describes the standardised test for oil in abrasives, and is recommended for each shift. In the example below, we agitated 50ml of garnet and 100ml of demineralised water, allowed to rest for 30 minutes or so, and then visually inspected to test for the amount of dust in your blast media. Soluble Conductivity Test for Non-Visible Contaminants The more important test is described by ASTM D4940 abrasive soluble conductivity test, which measures total dissolved salts in your blast media. This widely used 10 minute test requires 300ml of blast media and 300ml of demineralised water, and after the prescribed agitation testing the soluble conductivity. In the example pictured below we’re using the easily available Horiba reader supplied by Elcometer. The typical maximum acceptable limit set by the international oil and gas industry (an industry that typically demands a high specification) is 150 µS/cm, the US navy sets the maximum limit of 290 µS/cm [MIL-PRF-22262C(SH)], and in our experience general industry is around 250 µS/cm. It goes without saying that testing early is far preferable than checking after blasting. If your blast media fails – it’s a chance to invite your blast media supplier in for a discussion – and replace the media. Contact us if you want to know more, Australia wide 1300 727 240 or email info@ABSS.net.au.

Preparations for our first AMPP Industrial Coating Applicator (ICA) program are almost complete, the event kicks off Monday 12th August at 42 Lillee Crescent, Tullamarine. The ICA training program consists of one full week (40 hours) of industrial blasting and spraying content: - 17 lessons covering surface preparation, hand and power tools, coating fundamentals, coating receiving and storage, coatings application and of course safety, as well as - 7 labs featuring hands-on blasting and spraying workshops. Students will receive an AMPP Certificate of Completion and Professional Development Hours (PDH) credits. We welcome any visitors during the week - we only ask that you first call 1300 727 240 and let us know when you’re planning to call in.

Great example of a recent ABSS Blastroom installation of another high quality, effective and effective blastroom, pictures from client site in rural Victoria. Key features: - ABSS Pneumatic floor partial recovery modules for efficient and effective ventilation system. - ABSS Media Reclaimer & Recycling System - Steel panel room construction, rubber lined with 6mm steel floor - Camfil-Farr Gold Series® cartridge Dust Collection system is supplied standard with the Gold Cone™ Filter Cartridge - ABSS 174 litre auto exhaust blast pot c/w RPB Nova 200 blast hood Proudly Australian made and owned, for more information email the ABSS team at info@ABSS.net.au or call 1300 727 240 (Australia only).

ABSS is now an official AMPP: Association for Materials Protection and Performance publications distributor!!! One of the most vital roles of any blaster, painter or inspector, and arguably one of the most difficult, is determining whether the specified degree of surface cleanliness has been achieved before the coating is applied. AMPP has published four visual guides that depict the different degrees of cleaning. SSPC-VIS 1, Steel Surfaces Prepared by Dry Abrasive Blast Cleaning SSPC-VIS 3, Steel Surfaces Prepared by Power and Hand Tool Cleaning SSPC-VIS 4/NACE VIS 7, Steel Surfaces Prepared by Waterjetting SSPC-VIS 5/NACE VIS 9, Steel Surfaces Prepared by Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning The SSPC Visual Guides are an essential guide in the corrosion industry – and are now available directly from ABSS. Contact us Australia wide 1300 727 240 or email info@ABSS.net.au.