Positive green impact
High safety
The Spanish Navy required the complete removal of aged protective coatings from the deck of the frigate Cantabria at the Navantia shipyard. The project involved stripping over 1600m² of surface area with steel thicknesses ranging from 12 mm to 18 mm. Previous attempts using industrial milling were unsuccessful because the resulting vibrations caused onboard sensors to malfunction and created health concerns for the operators.
Conventional mechanical milling proved inefficient due to the frequent need for tool replacement and lower performance rates compared to induction technology. The project faced additional complexities due to the variety of surfaces, including a bow deck crowded with welded objects that hindered stripping speed, and a stern flight deck with a unique, difficult-to-strip coating. Maintaining high performance while protecting sensitive electronic equipment and ensuring worker safety was paramount.
The RPR-1650 induction system was deployed as a superior alternative to mechanical milling. Using an induction generator and a specialised 10 cm x 10 cm head, the team achieved stripping rates of up to 22m²/hr on wide sections of the deck. To further optimise the process, a bogey was used to semi-automate the stripping. The process was completed successfully, providing a silent, vibration-free solution that protected the ship’s sensors and significantly improved stripping performance across all deck sections.
