Pump system for onboard maintenance
UHP water-jetting equipment in use for deck maintenance
UK company Hughes Pumps says that it recently supplied a specially designed and manufactured pumping system to MOL Tankship Management (Europe) for repair and maintenance use on the company’s methanol tankers, while at sea.
In order to reduce corrosion and extend the fleet’s working life, MOL identified a need for ultra high pressure (UHP) water-jetting equipment to remove loose scale and coatings from ballast tanks and deck areas prior to recoating. Hughes, which claims considerable experience in UHP surface preparation equipment for the marine and offshore industries, developed a solution tot overcome MOL’s challenges. The hydraulic motor driven pump-set is designed to run off the ships own hydraulic supply to power the UHP pump, and to fit within the 1.2m wide flying bridge that runs the length of the deck.
The result, a purpose built, hydraulically driven, Ultrabar 24 pump-set with a performance of 23litre/min at 2750 bar, uses a four man riding crew to carry out water-jetting on the company’s methanol tanker fleet, during voyages between the Caribbean, US Gulf and Europe. Fresh water is used in the jetting process, followed by wash-down, de-humidifying and repainting.
According to Hughes, UHP water-jetting, also known as water cutting or hydro-blasting, has long been the preferred method of surface preparation compared to grit blasting and is promoted by paint manufactures as a powerful and environmentally sensitive cleaning technique.
Hughes says that its range of UHP surface preparation equipment is used extensively in the shipping and marine industries. Electric motor or diesel engine driven versions are available, suitable for use in safe or hazardous areas, which can be built into certified lifting crash-frames or containers if required.
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2012. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
