140% faster blasting and 8.6 tonnes less waste per day: SOCIBER’s success with GMA Garnet™

SOCIBER, a leading Chilean shipyard specializing in vessel repair and maintenance, needed to blast and repaint a 40-year-old drydock as part of a major refurbishment in Valparaíso, Chile. The job involved heavy coating removal (up to 1,300 microns), significant corrosion, and the need to reduce dust and improve operator safety in a confined shipyard environment.

At the same time, growing environmental pressure in Chile to move away from copper slag—due to heavy dust and large waste volumes—meant SOCIBER was looking for a cleaner, safer, and more efficient abrasive blasting solution.

The challenge: coating removal, corrosion, and dust control

Copper slag posed multiple issues onsite, including slow productivity, high abrasive consumption, and large disposal volumes—alongside concerns around dust and contaminants. SOCIBER needed a surface-preparation solution that could perform under real working conditions while improving onsite visibility and reducing exposure risks.

The test: onsite trial under real working conditions

GMA technical specialists, together with C&D Group Chile, conducted an onsite abrasive trial at SOCIBER’s facilities to evaluate productivity, abrasive consumption, dust behavior and visibility, operator safety, and environmental alignment. The team worked closely with SOCIBER supervisors and operators to adjust equipment, nozzles, and blasting setup for optimal performance.

The results: performance gains with GMA ToughBlast™

With the correct setup established, SOCIBER achieved:

• 140% faster blasting
• 89% less abrasive (using GMA ToughBlast™)
• 28% savings per day
• Lower waste volumes and cleaner, safer blasting conditions

Operators also reported improved visibility and a more controlled blast process, noting: “Dust pollution is almost zero.”

A practical pathway toward more sustainable operations

With Chile actively encouraging shipyards to reduce reliance on copper slag due to dust and contamination concerns, the SOCIBER trial demonstrated a clear pathway toward more sustainable operations—while maintaining high operational performance.

To see how SOCIBER improved productivity, reduced waste, and achieved cleaner onsite conditions, watch the case study video on GMA’s Resource Hub.