Robot invasion at Dunkirk
Following extensive and successful trials, Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque has taken delivery of five AMBPR Autonomous Mobile Blast & Paint Robots
The robots are designed for shipyard use and offer the combined benefits of increased safety, efficiency and sustainability, consistent high quality and reduced expenditure.
The robots are able to undertake complete hull restoration works with a scope spanning cleaning, blasting and painting. The different tasks are undertaken with the installation of exchangeable heads on a cherry-picker device.
The robots are able to clean a vessel’s hull with high pressure washing at 400 bars, situated at the optimal distance from the hull. The system can undertake both abrasive sand blasting as well as ultra-high-pressure water sandblasting at 2,500 bars, ensuring the efficient removal of all pollutants.
Painting is performed both evenly and efficiently, with the robot able to cover 100m2/h, resulting in reduced downtime for the vessel. The quality of the result is ensured with the ability to select the desired roughness of the blasting and paint thickness.
Added safety and reduced environmental impact
Added safety comes courtesy of the autonomous nature of the solution. The robot is operated by remote control, placing the operator at a safe distance from any hazardous pressure washing or blasting and ensuring there is no chance of paint inhalation.
The robots also make a significant contribution to sustainable operations. One way in which environmental impact is reduced is via a closed-loop water system. The water used for washing and blasting is vacuumed and cleaned, enabling 90% of it to be reused.
Additionally, the system uses considerably less paint. During a conventional painting operation, up to 50% of paint is lost as a result of overspray. The AMBPR solution is surrounded by a box that prevents any overspray from escaping into the atmosphere.
This also means that, during painting, other works can take place on the vessel simultaneously without the risk of anyone breathing in any harmful fumes, once again reducing project lead time.
Currently working on hybrid power, the robots have an eye on the future and are fully prepared to run fully electrically in the future for zero-emissions operations.
As a result of the reduction in material usage and increased project efficiency, the ultimate results of the robot system are both a boost for maritime sustainability and reduced costs for the vessel operator.
The five AMBPR Autonomous Mobile Blast & Paint Robots are designed for shipyard use and offer the combined benefits of increased safety, efficiency and sustainability