Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (“Tsuneishi Shipbuilding”) says it partnered with Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (“Furukawa Electric”), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (“MOL”), and MOL Drybulk Ltd. (“MOL Drybulk”) to conduct a successful field trial of the “InfraLaser” system on the outer hull of an actual vessel in December 2024.
Furukawa Electric, with the cooperation of MOL and MOL Drybulk, has been developing a rust and coating removal system for onboard maintenance since 2021, utilizing the surface treatment solution “InfraLaser” based on technology cultivated in industrial lasers. Additionally, since 2022, Furukawa Electric and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING have been conducting demonstration experiments aimed at the development of the same system for ship repairs.
Background
During ship repairs, rust and coatings are removed for hull inspection and repainting. However, the current sandblasting method, which removes rust and coatings by blasting abrasive materials against the surface, scatters waste materials and removed paint as debris, necessitating recovery efforts. By replacing this with a laser blasting method that generates minimal waste, dust, and noise, we expect to reduce environmental impact and improve occupational health.
MOL and MOL Drybulk have expressed their support for this development and have participated in the activities. Additionally, MOL Group and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING, recognizing the potential of utilizing “InfraLaser” for ship repairs and committed to reducing environmental impact and enhancing occupational health for sustainable business operations, initiated discussions on collaborative creation and development of a laser blasting system for ship maintenance and repairs.
Details
By applying the metal processing (welding, cutting, surface treatment, etc.) technology that Furukawa Electric has cultivated over many years in industrial laser to the optimization of irradiation conditions for rust and paint removal in the undercoating of ships, we aim to develop a system that minimizes the impact on the object and reduces the environmental burden. In the field trial, TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING provided feedback for use in shipbuilding and ship repair, and MOL and MOL Drybulk provided development support and feedback as ship operators and managers. These will be reflected in the development of the “InfraLaser” system and optimized into a shape and specifications suitable for use in real environment.
As the first effort by the four companies, the field trial was conducted in December 2024 on a ship operated by MOL (the outer hull’s paint: manufactured by Kansai Paint Marine), confirming the effectiveness of the laser application of the system under development to the outer hull. Moving forward, we will accelerate the development of an innovative laser application system for ship repair that can replace the conventional sandblasting method for rust and paint removal and coating of ships. We will also continue to study the automation of the system by taking advantage of the laser’s zero reaction force (Note), aiming to labor saving and automate the ship maintenance and repair process.