L.A. Metro Expansion Possible with Kinkisharyo and Accudraft Paint Booths
Accudraft Paint Booths partners with Kinkisharyo to create a custom paint booth setup for the P-3010 light rain vehicles as part of L.A. Metro’s Gold Line Extension project.
In August 2012, Kinkisharyo International secured a contract with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to produce new P-3010 light rail vehicles (LRVs) in conjunction with the Metro Gold Line Extension, which now services Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte/City of Hope, Irwindale, Azusa, and APU/Citrus College. In an unprecedented 43 months, Kinkisharyo took the idea from concept to revenue service - launching the first cars on March 5, 2016.
Metro initially committed to purchase 78 LRVs and subsequently exercised four options for an additional 157 of the quiet-riding P-3010 vehicles. The options triggered a provision requiring Kinkisharyo to expand its facility from assembling the rail cars to partial manufacturing of the car shells, which had previously been done exclusively in Japan.
Accudraft, the world’s leading paint booth manufacturer, was charged with creating a paint booth solution for production of this size and quantity. A five-booth setup was created for varying parts of the production process, which exists as a fully independent train-finishing island in the middle of the desert in Palmdale, California.
“The new manufacturing facility they have created is very impressive even among neighboring facilities in Palmdale like Lockheed Martin and NASA.” Says Guido Pippa of Accudraft. “We are very happy to have been such a critical part of such an impressive project, and are excited that all the new LA Metro rail cars will have been painted in an Accudraft finishing system.”
First, a 75-foot media blast booth was provided for the train chassis to be blasted and prepped for paint after welding. From there, the chassis is moved to a downdraft booth where it is finished in a gloss grey coating. The chassis are then transported to the production floor, where the train car bodies are constructed. Once complete, the cars are brought to one of three 108-foot long outdoor Accudraft TX paint booths, each one outfitted with man-lift systems that allow for finishing workers to reach any part of the train car while inside the booth.
Additional features include a mechanical room complete with air compressors, holding tanks, breathable air systems, and electrical and fire suppression systems.
To date, this project has added 404 new jobs in the Palmdale area, with a total expenditure of nearly $49 million to the north L.A. County economy.
For more information contact Accudraft at info@accudraftpaintbooths.com or 1-800-524-0340.
Accudraft Paint
Booths 961 Route 10 East, Suite 2K
Randolph, NJ 07869
Phone: 973-927-6232
Url: http://www.accudraftpaintbooths.com
Contact:
Guido Pippa
