Abrasive blasting is the method of surface preparation that is utilized the most frequently in the Vessel building and vessel repair industries. The method is used to remove not only old paint but also rust, mill scale, dirt, and salts from a surface. Vessel blasting and painting is a major thing which is used for vessel building.

It is a quick and cost-effective method for shaping a surface, roughening a smooth surface, smoothing a rough surface, removing old coatings, and cleaning off pollutants like rust and scale.

What is vessel blasting and painting?

Vessel Blasting is the term used to describe the process of removing paint, corrosion, and other surface impurities from metal surfaces. During the process of vessel blasting and painting, suction is produced using either compressed air or a liquid agent. This allows for the removal of paint, rust, lead, and other impurities off the surface and into the surrounding air.

Vessels require consistent upkeep and cleaning in order to continue operating at their maximum potential both at sea and in port. Occasionally, vessels will also need to have rust and paint stripped off of them. Vessel blasting and painting removal services are only one of the many types of cleaning services that excel in providing to its customers.

Industry’s regulatory standards:

Dry docking is the act of bringing a vessel to a servicing yard and bringing it to dry land so that the submerged areas of the hull can be cleaned and examined. This operation is sometimes referred to as “drying out.” This activity must be done in order to comply with the industry’s regulatory standards, therefore it serves a dual purpose in terms of prevention and regulation. When vessels that have been previously owned and purchased are due for dry docking, they are evaluated to ensure that they fulfill all of the vessel criteria.

The vessels are scheduled to undergo dry-docking once every five years, and intermediate surveys are performed in the intervening years. As soon as the vessels are placed back into service, they are both better for the environment and more efficient in their use of fuel. 

If the field of dry-docking had a motto, it would be something along the lines of “plan, plan, plan, and plan some more.

The vessel Has Arrived at the Yard, and We Are Now Entering the Dry-dock:

Once all of the necessary preparation work has been finished, the vessel arrives at the shipyard to be worked on. Once all of the required procedures at the port have been finished, the vessel will move to the dry dock with the assistance of tug boats and shipyard workers. Prior to this step, the shipyards organize the blocks in accordance with the unique docking plan for each individual vessel.

Docking and “Taking” the Blocks, which involves pumping down the dock:

Depending on the size of the vessel, the water is drained from the dry dock, which often takes place overnight, over a period of approximately eight to ten hours. Specialized dive teams inspect the block to make certain that its structures are in the appropriate position before the vessel is anchored to the block.

Moving the Cables Around:

When the dock is dry, the cables (or anchor chains) are arranged in a pattern on the bottom of the dock. After that, the anchors and cables are measured and inspected to evaluate their quality and condition, and any broken or faulty pieces are either fixed or replaced, depending on the situation.

Refinishing the vessel’s Hull:

Painting the Hull One of the key reasons for dry-docking a vessel is so that it can have its hull painted. This process involves washing, blasting, and painting the vessel. This is because hull painting is one of the primary ways to ensure that the vessel will continue to operate efficiently over the next five years. It is not unusual for marine vegetation such as algae or slime to accumulate on the sides of a vessel after it has been in service for a lengthy period of time. This can happen after the vessel has been sailing for a while.

• Washing the vessel:

WASHING The marine vegetation and chlorides that have accumulated on the vessels’ hull can be removed by shipyard workers with high-pressure washers that use fresh water.

• BLASTING:

The ship’s sides are typically blasted in order to remove rust or damaged paint as the primary purpose of the process. Blasting operations might be confined to a specific area of a vessel or carried out along its full side, depending on the requirements of that particular vessel. During this step, any old paint that is present in the affected regions will be completely stripped away to reveal the underlying steel.

• PAINTING:

Following the completion of the blasting, the entirety of the vessel is washed down and painted in order to preserve the structural integrity of the steel and prevent further corrosion. Anti-fouling paint is applied to the underwater side of the vessel to prevent the growth of marine growth and to ensure that the vessel performs as close as possible to its original design speed and fuel consumption.