ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Facility upgrades and renovations are coming to a close at Anniston Army Depot's Component Rebuild Facility.
The project, funded through a FY 2014 Sustainment Restoration Modernization project, is scheduled to be finished in mid-November.
When complete, there will be a new vat line, updated paint equipment and a divider wall to separate the "dirty" processes, such as sandblasting, from painting and cleaning processes.
Donnie Herring, chief for the Component Cleaning and Painting Branch, said separating the various processes will improve the quality of each part and the movement of work through the building.
"The renovations have made it possible to combine processes for more of a one-piece flow," said Wilburn Sparks, division chief for the Cleaning, Finishing and Painting Division.
Tim Arrington, civil engineer for the project with the depot's Directorate of Public Works, said an area in the building has also been renovated, converting it from a Radiator Shop, which was relocated to another facility, into a machining and welding shop to support the Component Cleaning and Painting Branch.
"This will place welders and machinists nearby to repair parts after we have cleaned them and before we paint them," said Sparks. "It will speed up the process."
Renovations in the building include installation of a refurbished paint booth, a new breakroom, updated bathrooms and administrative areas, new lighting, heating and ventilation, fire protection upgrades, a new general waste line and new chemical vats with pit upgrades.
Throughout the renovation process, employees continued to work on parts and equipment for the warfighters, utilizing the areas not under construction at that time.
"The only operations moved out of the building during construction were vat operations," said Arrington.
"We have been able to keep production going without any major problems," said Herring, praising both the ANAD workforce and the contractors on the project for their dedication to safety and their flexibility during the renovations.
From the beginning, according to Arrington, the Corps of Engineers project has been coordinated with the installation's Fire and Emergency Services Division as well as safety, industrial hygiene, DPW shops, AFGE Local 1945, environmental organizations and the Directorate of Production.
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