Marine Industry

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Ship Hull Surface Preparation

Proper surface preparation is crucial in the marine and shipbuilding industry, as many coating failures result from inadequate cleaning. Ensuring a clean and well-prepared hull surface is essential for the coating's durability and effective corrosion protection in ship construction, ship maintenance, and ship repair.

Comparison of Cleanliness Standards According to ISO 8501/SSPC-NACE

  • Original Coating
  • No Preparation of Surface
  • Sa 1/Wa 1/WJ 4
  • Light Cleanning
  • Wa 2/WJ 3
  • Thorough Cleaning
  • Sa 2/Wa 2.5/WJ 2
  • Very Thorough/Near-White Metal Blast Cleaning
  • Sa 2/Wa 2.5/WJ 2
  • The surface prepared by the hull coating removal vehicle
Manual Sand Blasting
  • Labor-intensive and time-consuming
  • High dust and noise generation, harmful to the environment and workers' health
  • Potential for inconsistent surface preparation
  • Increased risk of worker injury and exposure to hazardous materials
Water Jetting Gun
  • High pressure poses safety risks to operators if not handled correctly
  • Requires scaffolding, making work at heights hazardous
  • Less effective on certain tough coatings or materials
  • Handling and disposing of wastewater can be challenging and costly
Magnetic Crawlers
  • Difficult to operate and hard to learn
  • Risk of failure or detachment from the hull
  • Limited mobility on curved or irregular surfaces
  • Requires separate sewage treatment facilities
Hull Coating Removal Vehicle
  • High Efficiency: Significantly reduces time and labor costs.
  • Automated and User-Friendly: Minimizes hazardous tasks and is easy to operate.
  • Integrated Waste Management: Handles solid debris and wastewater efficiently and environmentally friendly.
  • Consistent Quality: Ensures uniform surface preparation for optimal coating adhesion and long-lasting protection.

Comparative Analysis: Ship Hull Cleaning Methods

Items Abrasive Blasting Manual hydroblasting Wall-climbing robot TCD/TCX
Efficiency 6 - 8 ㎡ /h 6 - 8 ㎡ /h 15 - 30 ㎡ /h up to 50/120 ㎡/h
Required Equipment
 Scaffold, abrasive materials, blasting pot, air compressor, and containment system, etc.
 Scaffold, high-pressure water jet systems, hoses, UHP pump, protective gear, etc.
 Robot unit, UHP pump, electronic cabinet, long electronic wires, fall arresters, and safety harnesses, etc.
 All-in-one system with built-in electronic and recovery modules
Required Labor
 High labor demand for setup, operation, and maintenance
 Very high labor demand for manual operation and safety oversight
 Moderate labor demand for setup and monitoring
 Low labor demand due to automation and remote operation capabilities
Working Coverage
 100% 100% 45% 95%
Cleaning Effect
 Manual cleaning cannot reach the request result one time, needs to be cleaned several times, and prepared surface is less consistent
 Manual cleaning cannot reach the request result one time, needs to be cleaned several times, and prepared surface is less consistent Effective in accessible areas but may struggle with complex geometries
 Consistently high cleaning quality, meeting near-white metal standards (WJ-2 / Wa 2½)
Risk Points High risk of dust and particulate exposure, potential for equipment-related injuries High risk of respiratory issues, physical strain, and accidents Potential for mechanical failure and falling risk due to excessive water pressure and the magnet's adsorption ability weakness Minimal
Environmental Impact Extremely air pollution Contaminate local water bodies and requires large volumes of water and energy, potentially impacting marine ecosystems and local resources, and proper waste management is crucial to mitigate these environmental risks Recycling and sewage treatment facilities must be equipped Dust-free, water-saving and environmentally friendly with 99% wastewater recovery

Manual Blasting

Magnetic Hull Crawler

TCD 10

TCX 25

*All data is sourced from third-party, publicly available information and HYDWIN's product parameters. Actual performance may vary based on working conditions, environmental factors, water flow, pressure, etc. Please note that the provided information is for reference only and should be verified with specific operational conditions.

Project Showcase

Dockyard A, Shanghai, China

  • Vessel Type

    Container Vessel

  • Cleaned Area

    10,800 ㎡

  • Date

    2024-03-05

  • Equipment Inventory

    3 sets of TCX25 + 2 sets of TCD10

  • Scheduled Working Hours

    48 hours

  • Actual Working Hours

    36 hours

Dockyard A, Zhoushan, China

  • Vessel Type

    Cruise Vessel

  • Cleaned Area

    7,308 ㎡

  • Date

    2024-04-29

  • Equipment Inventory

    3 sets of TCX 25 + 2 sets of TCD10

  • Scheduled Working Hours

    36 hours

  • Actual Working Hours

    30 hours

Dockyard B, Zhoushan, China

  • Vessel Type

    Container Vessel

  • Cleaned Area

    1,800 ㎡

  • Date

    2024-05-15

  • Equipment Inventory

    1 set of TCX 25

  • Scheduled Working Hours

    24 hours

  • Actual Working Hours

    20 hours

Dockyard A, Jiangyin, China

  • Vessel Type

    Container Vessel

  • Cleaned Area

    930 ㎡

  • Date

    2024-06-21

  • Equipment Inventory

    1 set of TCD 10

  • Scheduled Working Hours

    24 hours

  • Actual Working Hours

    20 hours