Ship paint and rust removal is a critical aspect of ship maintenance, aiming to remove old paint layers, rust, and contaminants from the hull surface, providing a good base for subsequent anti-corrosion coatings. Common methods include manual, mechanical, sandblasting, high-pressure water jetting, and chemical treatment. Different methods are suitable for different scenarios, requiring comprehensive consideration of efficiency, environmental friendliness, cost, and rust removal quality requirements.
1. Manual Rust Removal
Manual rust removal relies on tools such as hammers, scrapers, and wire brushes, and is suitable for small areas or localized rust removal, such as in confined spaces or on the edges of structural steel. For light rust, it can be directly scraped off with a scraper and then cleaned with a wire brush; for thick rust, a pneumatic hammer is needed to loosen it before scraping; and for spot rust, a pointed hammer is required for careful treatment. This method is labor-intensive, has low efficiency (approximately 0.2-5 square meters/hour), and is difficult to completely remove mill scale, but it is highly flexible and suitable for areas that are difficult to access mechanically.
2. Mechanical Rust Removal
Mechanical rust removal uses electric or pneumatic equipment (such as angle grinders and pneumatic needle scalers) for large-area treatment. Its efficiency is significantly higher than manual methods. These semi-mechanized methods can remove rust and old coatings more thoroughly, but their effectiveness in removing mill scale is limited, and the surface roughness may be insufficient. For more efficient mechanical methods, shot blasting (sandblasting) uses high-speed abrasive materials (such as steel shot or sand) to impact the surface, but the abrasive material cannot be recycled, easily causing environmental pollution.
3. Chemical Rust Removal
Chemical rust removal uses chemical reactions such as pickling to dissolve rust products. It is often used for batch processing in workshop environments and requires strict safety precautions and waste liquid treatment to avoid environmental pollution. It is not suitable for large-area paint and rust removal on ship surfaces.
4. High-Pressure Water Jet Rust Removal
High-pressure water jet technology uses high-pressure water to impact the rust layer and coating. It produces no dust pollution and does not damage the steel plate. The rust removal effect is good, and this method is highly environmentally friendly, but the equipment cost is high, and the steel plate needs to be coated promptly after rust removal to prevent re-rusting.
5. Ultra-High Pressure Water Jet Rust Removal Robot
The ship-climbing robot is equipped with an ultra-high pressure water jet rust removal device, enabling automated paint and rust removal on the ship's surface in high-altitude environments. The rust removal efficiency is 50-75 m²/h, achieving a rust removal grade of Sa2.5. During rust removal, a vacuum recovery and drainage system can be configured to collect wastewater and waste residue on the ground. The wastewater can be recycled after treatment. The entire process is dust-free, pollution-free, and prevents wastewater runoff, making it suitable for the maintenance of large vessels.
