Revolutionizing Marine Maintenance with Laser Cleaning
Cleaning With Light: A New Era for Ship Maintenance
Corrosion removal has been among the heaviest and most expensive tasks for both military and civilian ship maintenance technicians. A 2022 audit by the Department of Defense showed that between 2017 and 2020, corrosion maintenance conducted by Naval Air squadron maintainers on F/A-18C-G aircraft alone cost the Navy more than $2 billion. This figure does not include the costs of treating corrosion in the Navy’s many other aircraft and ships in service. Various estimates place this figure at approximately $3 billion annually. Cleaning vessels used in commercial shipping and fishing, ferries, cruises, and luxury vessels generate equally substantial costs.
Old Versus New: Traditional Methods vs. Laser Cleaning
Traditional methods of corrosion removal and surface preparation can be both time-consuming and costly. But there is a solution to make the process more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly: MARLIN laser cleaning technology from Laser Photonics Corporation (LPC).
Traditional Methods:
Handheld power tools (needle guns, grinding wheels, wire wheels)
Sandblasting, dry ice blasting, high-pressure water jetting, and chemical cleaning
Labor-intensive, polluting, and damaging the underlying material
Require expensive consumables and substantial time for preparation and cleanup
Cannot be automated, but rather require on-the-fly adjustments to handle complex tasks and avoid damage
Draw scrutiny from regulators like the EPA and OSHA due to risks to applicators and the environment
Not feasible for many interior and exterior applications
Marlin Laser Cleaning
Uses the thermal energy of laser light pulses
Energy controllably blasts off the contaminant, vaporizing part or all of it
Extreme precision achieved by manipulating output power, pulse length, beam pattern, and exposure
Suitable for rapid or deep corrosion removal or removing thin layers of coating without damaging the base
Surface ready to recoat without further preparation
More efficient and effective in treating surfaces compared to handheld tools
Selectivity in removing coating layers of various thicknesses and versatility in accessing areas handheld tools cannot reach
Versatility in application and range of material, with the additional benefit of cleaning equipment and tools
cost & efficiency
The Problem Is Big
Many hours are spent assessing compromised surfaces for corrosion, prepping surfaces for paint adhesion, and coating surfaces with fresh paint or other finish. While the cost of laser-cleaning technologies can be steep, the production efficiency (fewer worker hours) and reduced spending on consumables, cleanup, and disposal of hazardous waste more than balance the scales.
Business economics, labor reductions, training cutbacks, shortened shipyard availabilities, and diminished waterfront/intermediate maintenance capacity all contribute to the growing need for the new and better maintenance approaches delivered with technologies such as the MARLIN systems.
and it's critical
Importance of Shipbuilding
- Material processing with laser equipment produces cleaner marine steel surfaces, leading to better results in coating, welding, and other processes.
- Treating metal surfaces to eliminate corrosion, saltwater stains, biological growth, and other contaminants is key for maintaining components like engines, generators, fuel pumps, winches, anchoring chains, water separators, latches, door hinges, locks and gear shifting and throttle mechanisms without disassembly.
- Proper treatment helps preserve functionality and longevity, prevents further corrosion and deterioration, and reduces the risk of premature failure.
- Cleaning hulls and underwater components and removing marine organisms without toxic antifouling paints improves fuel efficiency and reduces drag without introducing contaminants into the environment.
- Laser cleaning generates minimal particulate dust, which can be quickly cleaned with a filtered fume extractor.
- Laser tools are suitable for integration into automated operations.
meet with an expert
Expert Laser Cleaning Solutions
Marine Surface Preparation
We provide top-notch laser cleaning services to prepare marine surfaces for painting, welding, and other critical processes, ensuring optimal adhesion and longevity.
Corrosion Removal
Our advanced laser technology effectively removes corrosion, saltwater stains, and biological growth, preserving the integrity of marine components.