Steel Surface News

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

Subsea Industries develops durable, non-toxic hard hull coating systems. Ecospeed was the first coating and was launched in 2002, but since then a line of other products has been added.EcoshieldEcoshield is an enhanced version of Ecospeed. Small but significant variations of the Ecospeed formula have been tested on rudders since 2002 with extraordinary results. After years of testing (initially under the name Ecospeed Strong) the product was launched in 2013.Ecoshield is designed to protect rudders and other underwater running gear against the cavitation phenomenon: against pitting…

A new all-terrain vessel propulsion system specially engineered and built for operation in extreme shallow water, riverine and mud flat environments will safely and reliably propel a vessel through dense vegetation, mud and debris-strewn waters. The highly durable Swamp Shark Drive system has been introduced through a partnership between Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has partnered with Angelle Development, LLC of Breaux Bridge, La. “I began designing this system and building the initial prototype in 2011 with the goal of creating the ultimate ‘go anywhere…

Drydocks World, a international service provider to the shipping, maritime, offshore, oil, gas and energy sectors has announced the successful completion of the pioneering HVDC converter platform DolWin beta. The platform, the world’s largest in terms of capacity, was built at Drydocks World – Dubai and is an engineering marvel of gargantuan proportions which took tremendous effort and skill to construct. Completion of Dolwin beta heralds a new era for Drydocks World’s expertise…

Subsea Industries announced a new product for filling and building up a corroded and pitted steel surface to its original form prior to recoating with Ecoshield. According to the manufacturer, Ecofix is as tough as the steel itself, machinable and can be used to repair most pitting or corrosion damage on rudders, stabilizer fins, thrusters and other underwater gear. Ecofix is used in combination with Ecoshield, the ultimate rudder protection coating. When a rudder or other piece of underwater ship gear has not been properly protected, the surface will become corroded.

Ruukki can now supply steels for all applications requiring wear-resistant special steels. Ruukki Raex special steel can withstand wear and surface pressure and the range has now been expanded to include the thicker wear-resistant steels needed, for example, in the mining industry, Raex said. Raex special steel is made in a range of thicknesses from two-80 mm. The new thicker Raex wear-resistant steels up to 80 mm can be used, among other things, to manufacture parts for heavy machinery and equipment designed for excavation, loading, transporting and crushing ore in mines.

Recently, the use of certain environmental-friendly waxes or "semi-hard coatings", used by barge fabricators to protect the internal void walls and floors of marine double-hulled steel barges from corrosion, have fallen under scrutiny by some barge owners/operators. It is believed that certain paraffin wax coatings act as a food source for certain living corrosive microorganisms. These single-celled organisms are associated with a phenomenon known as Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) that can cause localized pitting and eventually leaks in steel barge voids. This following examines the biological and chemical research that has recently been performed on the Jotun Paints, Inc, "beeswax" coating by two independent laboratories.

The Salvage Association (SA) said last week that it has pinpointed phosphoric acid as another chemical cargo causing some anxiety to marine underwriters, following the controversy surrounding the carriage of calcium hypochlorite chemical cargoes in containers. The SA said in a statement its Singapore office has been involved in two cases where stainless steel tanks in chemical tankers have been attacked by the acid, leaving large black stains on the surface and in the worst case, pitting and grain boundary attack. The structural strength of the tanks is not affected but it is detrimental to other sensitive cargoes, and its unsightly appearance means the vessel could be rejected by cargo surveyors.