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Deck the Hulls: Preparing Ship Hulls for Coating and Painting

Manufacturing a product to withstand the environmental stresses of wind, rain, and sediment is challenging enough. But, when you add saltwater and wave action to the mix, the detrimental threat of corrosion increases significantly. A coating adhesion test is important for quickly testing a surface before spending hours of work, coating, and painting the hull just to find out that the surface lacks the adhesive quality enough to withstand the elements.

Anti-corrosive or anti-fouling coatings and protective paints serve to protect ships against those environmental threats. But, the coating or paint is only as strong as its adhesive quality. If the adhesion fails, the coating or paint chips, and the ship becomes vulnerable to corrosion. Failures in the field can be both costly and dangerous.

Ensuring quality adhesion is the key to guaranteeing successful protection. But how can quality adhesion be achieved? A proper coating adhesion test should be done beforehand to gauge surface preparedness before painting or coating occurs.

It all starts on the surface.

When the steel or fiberglass is prepared for a coating or paint, the user cannot be sure whether the treatment level succeeded in creating the necessary surface for optimal adhesion. Over-treatment and under-treatment can both be detrimental to adhesion. Without a properly prepared surface, the adhesion is doomed to fail.

Manufacturers are turning to the Surface Analyst to monitor and verify the treatment level. This fast, easy, accurate, hand-held surface cleanliness gauge optimizes critical surface processes right on the factory floor.

Revolutionize Your Manufacturing with Surface Quality Inspection Technology.

Ship manufacturers rely on the Surface Analyst to optimize and guarantee their critical surface processes from the factory floor to the seas.

Read The Manufacturer’s Roadmap to Eliminate Adhesion Issues in Production eBook to find out how this approach can lead your company to eliminate painting and coating failure. 

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