COMPANY:
Siemens Australia

Portable Blasting Shelter for Siemens Australia

The Service Operation Team at Siemens approached Giant Inflatables Industrial to custom design a Portable Abrasive Blasting Shelter.

Back Ground

COMPANY:
Siemens Australia

LOCATION:
Australia Wide

Siemens is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of power generation turbines. They play a crucial role in driving sustainable and innovative power solutions for the nation’s growing energy demands. Their Turbine Services arm is dedicated to servicing, maintaining, and optimizing power turbines in various industries, ensuring their reliable and efficient performance.

An essential component in the lifecycle of a power turbine is a planned maintenance program that occurs approximately every six years. This scheduled maintenance program typically involves hundreds of personnel and weeks of power-producing downtime. During maintenance, the power turbines are completely disassembled, cleaned, tested and re-assembled.

The cleaning process involves abrasive blasting, creating a massive mess as particles, contaminants and blasting media are projected at high pressure in every direction. Consequently, abrasive blasting must occur in an enclosed space.

Challenge

Traditionally a wrapped scaffolding system would be erected, requiring up to three days each to assemble and disassemble the structure. Considering the workforce costs and the power turbines’ downtime, the traditional scaffolding setup and disassembly process come at a significant cost. Because the turbine maintenance programs represent an ongoing operating cost, finding scalable efficiencies would result in considerable savings over a short period.

The Service Operation Team at Siemens approached Giant Inflatables Industrial (GII) to custom design a Portable Abrasive Blasting Shelter tailored to their specific needs regarding size and design.

Specialized Solution and Results

After considerable consultation, GII designed and fabricated the ideal-sized Portable Abrasive Blasting Shelter. Striking the perfect balance of manageability and surface working area, the fully equipped Siemens Blasting Shelter could be set up using a fraction of the workforce for setup, and the quick setup time also reduced the overall maintenance period by up to three days. Siemens saw a return on their investment within three maintenance projects.

From an Occupational Safety Point of View

Other than the substantial cost savings, we received the following feedback from the Occupational Health and Safety perspective:

“From a health and safety perspective, the inflatable is a lot better for us than the other solutions, which is having guys crawling up on scaffolding in the air somewhere.”

Andrew Beevor
SERVICES OPERATIONS
Team Leader

A closer look

Abrasive blasting must occur in an enclosed space.

The self-supported nature and high ceilings of portable abrasive blasting shelters offer abundant lighting solutions.

Additional liners and screens catch contaminants and blasting media projected at high pressure in every direction.

Project Video

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Background

COMPANY:
Siemens Australia

LOCATION:
Australia Wide

Giant Inflatables Industrial, known for its expertise in the mining, power generation, construction, and defence sectors, temporarily shifted focus to assist its sister division, Giant Inflatables, with an unprecedented challenge: building the world’s tallest inflatable airdancer. Leveraging its engineering capabilities, the team designed and fabricated a 50-metre inflatable tube man, overcoming complex technical and environmental hurdles. This collaboration demonstrated Giant Inflatables Industrial’s adaptability and commitment to delivering innovative solutions beyond its traditional industrial focus.

Unique Challenge

Giant Inflatables Industrial provided technical advisory and fabrication expertise to its sister division, Giant Inflatables, to engineer a 50-metre inflatable tube man for Amber Energy’s marketing initiative in Melbourne’s CBD. The project required precision engineering and innovative materials to overcome unique challenges.

Fabric Technology from a Different Sector

The team utilised spinnaker cloth, a material renowned in professional sailing for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio to achieve the ideal balance of strength, flexibility, and lightweight properties. It was designed to endure high wind pressures and provided the durability needed to withstand continuous airflow stresses while maintaining the tube man’s dynamic motion. Its flexibility and resilience ensured stable performance and safety in Melbourne’s variable weather, showcasing the team’s ability to adapt advanced materials for innovative engineering solutions.

Custom Engineered Fan

A custom high-velocity fan was engineered and fabricated to meet the unique demands of the 50-metre inflatable tube man. Where standard fans lacked the power and precision required to maintain consistent airflow over such a large structure, engineers at Giant Inflatables Industrial designed a solution capable of generating a powerful, controlled air current that could keep the tube man fully upright, even in Melbourne’s variable wind conditions.

The fan incorporated high-strength materials to endure continuous operation and was equipped with advanced airflow stabilisation technology to prevent fluctuations that could cause instability. Its design also reduced noise, ensuring minimal disruption in the busy CBD environment. By balancing power, efficiency, and durability, the fan became a critical component of the project, ensuring the tube man performed reliably throughout the week-long campaign.

Testing occurred in Melbourne’s backcountry, where engineers assessed inflation safety, fan efficiency, and wind response. A smaller, 30-metre version was also developed for unfavourable weather scenarios.

Results

The Amberman debuted in Melbourne’s CBD, operated by Giant Inflatables’ team to ensure safe assembly and compliance with municipal regulations. The inflatable was activated during optimal renewable energy availability, symbolising Amber Energy’s commitment to sustainable practices. The week-long event, live-streamed and shared on social media, achieved widespread visibility and reinforced Amber Energy’s eco-friendly message.