Automated vessel coating saves time, money and the planet
Hamburg shipyard Blohm+Voss is claiming to be the first European shipyard to launch a state-of-the-art automated technology for the coating of hulls developed by Hubert Palfinger.
The treatment which can be conducted by just four operatives is claimed to take just a few hours to set up for each vessel. It is also claimed to reduce the volumes of coating products used by up to 30%, while saving time and reducing overspray and release of paint and vapours into the environment. It also is claimed to provide a better, more uniform, finish thus increasing the performance of the coating system.
“Our cooperation with Palfinger is an important building block in order to consistently optimise our core areas of business after becoming part of the Luerssen Group towards the end of last year. We want to offer our customers innovative and cost-efficient solutions,” explained Dieter Dehlke, CEO of Blohm+Voss. “We are pleased to have Blohm+Voss as partner at our side. With them on-board we can introduce our new process in the most suitable environment,” added Hubert Palfinger.
Compared to common manual application techniques, with the HTC, due to the automatic surface preparation and coating, an exact and uniform colour composition can be achieved. This results in reduced consumption of the colour coating as well as a smoother application of the antifouling providing a less rough surface, which ultimately leads to fuel savings when the ship is in operation.
During the current market launch phase, which runs until 31 December 2017, Blohm+Voss and Palfinger will be offering special conditions for customers interested in the HTC system.
By Jake Frith
