Ship crews use medieval tools - chipping hammers, grinders, needleguns - to remove deck rust. Such tools drive rust and salt into your steel instead of removing it: Reason why corrosion returns after 2-4 months and your deck never improves.
Only grit blasting gives over 5 years repair life. Aquajet AJ-50X and AJ-150XL are small 50 or 150 lbs blasters on wheels, designed to eradicate deck rust with ease. Blasters powered by ship air pressure, little natural grit and very little fresh water.
Aquajet, powered by 7-8 bar ship air pressure only, requires NO electricity, consumes very little water and only 1-3 tons of grit a month.
Operating within design limits powered by low air pressure, Aquajet hardly suffers downtime. Minimal maintenance, no ongoing wear part replacement.
Moves on wheels. Hose end bends as easy as a garden hose. Thus, nozzle reaches behind stiffeners, pipe supports and other hard-to-reach areas.
Aquajet uses natural grits which bring no harm to aquatic life and can be reused 3-4 times.
Aquajet operating cost is a fraction of powertooling or high-pressure hydrojet blasting. It removes corrosion professionally in no time. Optimal feathering surface prep gives longest repair life - well over 5 years. This makes it by far the most economical solution of all deck repair options.
Fully compliant to US & EU sandblasting regulations. Uses extremely low air pressure = cannot cause harm. Aquajet’s water shield prevents airborne blast dust and explosion risk. Overall, Aquajet imposes extremely low accident risk. Blasting produces only a quarter used sand of conventional sandblasting, grit stays close around cleaning area. Basic PPE ensures full protection for operators.
Aquajet's watershield prevents blasting dust and explosion risk. 7 bar operational pressure equals tap water pressure. 7 bar is safe. Not comparable with HP equipment running at over 200 bar having caused serious injuries leading to amputations or even death.
Despite low pressure, Aquajet achieves the highest surface preparation standard Sa 2.5 in roughness and cleanliness.
| Cleaning Method | Typical failure pattern paint failure upon… | Number of required repairs in 5 years or 60 months | Side effects & issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chipping, grinding | 3 to 4 months | => 15 to 20 repairs in 5 years | negative vetting & inspection, ship downgrading & rejection |
| Hydrojetting | 8 to 24 months, subject to workmanship | => 2.5 to 7.5 repairs in 5 years | considerable accident risk, 10 t water/day, frequent breakdown |
| Aquajet Blasting | 4 to 8 years | => 0.625 to 1.25 repairs in 5 years | training and crew supervision recommended |
If you connect a conventional 300 lbs shipyard blast set to the ship air onboard, nothing happens since ship air pressure is insufficient.
With a 390 cfm compressor, the conventional 300 lbs blaster blows out 50 to 80 kgs copper slag or sand per m2. (copper slag damages aquatic environment, correct procedure is to collect and return to shore. Sand harms your workers' lungs)
| If crew is blasting just 8 days per month: | ||
| A conventional blaster takes at least 60 kgs per m2, 40 m2/day | => 2.4 tons grit a day at 40 m2/day | => 19.2 tons per month (8 full blast days per month) |
| Aquajet needs: 15-30 kgs p. m2, garnet is used 2-4 times, 40 m2/day | => 150 to 600 kgs garnet a day (=600/4 to 1200/2) | => 1.2 - 4.8 tons per month (8 full blast days per month) |
| In comparison, a 500 bar hydrojet uses 10 tons fresh water per day | => 10 tons fresh water per day | => 80 tons per month . (8 blast days). Hydrojet breakdown far higher: hydrojets operate at design limits. |
