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Shipbuilding is subject to harsh maritime environmental conditions in the form of saltwater, high humidity, and mechanical stress. These conditions promote corrosion, necessitating frequent surface preparation to safeguard important parts like hulls, propellers, ballast tanks, and superstructures.

In order to preserve structural integrity as well as satisfy international standards, shipbuilders have to bank on sophisticated abrasive blasting technology.

The Significance of Surface Treatment in Shipbuilding

Periodic surface treatment prevents:

• Rusting and surface degradation
• Poor paint adhesion and coating life
• Shortening of ship life
• Non-compliance with safety and environmental standards (with reference to IMO regulations)

High-performance abrasives such as garnet and PS Balls have become an essential part of surface preparation, particularly through dry blasting, wet blasting, and vacuum blasting methods used in ship repair and refurbishment.

Garnet Abrasive Use in Ship Repair and Refurbishment

1. Quality Surface Preparation

Garnet performs well in attaining surface cleanliness levels of SA 2.5 to SA 3 according to ISO 8501-1. Its angular particle shape effectively removes rust, mill scale, and aged coatings, providing a perfect surface for marine paint systems.

Application Example: Shipyards in Batam and Singapore commonly apply garnet as a cleaner on ship hulls before applying anti-fouling coatings.

2. Safe and Environmentally Compliant

In contrast to conventional abrasives like silica sand, garnet is free of free silica and produces very little dust. It is heavy metal free, thus being harmless to human beings and environment-friendly and in accordance with occupational safety and environmental regulations.

3. Reusable and Cost-Efficient

Garnet is recyclable for up to 3 to 5 cycles without compromising blasting efficiency. This reduces abrasive consumption and waste, making it a cost-effective solution for extensive marine operations such as cargo ships, oil tankers, and cruise ships.

PS Balls in Marine Maintenance and Surface Blasting

1. Spherical Shape for Uniform Results

The spherical shape of PS Balls facilitates rolling action during blasting that yields an even and even surface profile. This is particularly beneficial for ship decks, storage areas, and inner surfaces where consistent coat application is essential.

2. Low-Waste and Durable

Higher hardness than most conventional slag abrasives make PS Balls more resistant to fragmentation when blasting. This improves cleaning efficiency, lowers breakdown, and saves overall abrasive consumption.

Application: Vietnamese naval shipyards employ PS Balls to service patrol boats and landing craft, where precision and durability are both crucial.

3. Environmentally Friendly and Regulation-Compliant

Made from purified steel slag, PS Balls have no harmful substances and no leachables. Their eco-friendly makeup is encouraging ports throughout Malaysia and the Philippines to start using them as substitutes for copper slag because of stricter environmental laws.

Southeast Asia's Shift Toward Sustainable Blasting Practices

The Southeast Asian shipbuilding and marine maintenance industries are experiencing a transition towards greener, more efficient blasting technologies. The main drivers behind this transition are:

• Rollout of IMO 2020 low-sulfur fuel and emissions regulations
• Tightening of environmental inspection and compliance audits
• Greater emphasis on worker health and operational safety

Regional Trends:

• Singapore has come on board as the most accepted abrasive in high-performance marine blasting, favouring the use of garnet.
• Indonesia and Malaysia are substituting copper slag with PS Balls to comply with environmental regulations.
• Vietnam and Thailand are investing in garnet media-based automatic blasting systems for reliable and reproducible results.

Environmental and Waste Management Benefits

In contrast to traditional abrasives, garnet and PS Balls both have substantial sustainability advantages:

Garnet:

• Reusable several times
• Readily recoverable and recyclable
• Low dust and little waste

PS Balls:

• Produced from recycled steel slag
• Converts industrial waste into a valuable abrasive
• Toxic-free and safe for responsible disposal

Case Study: In Malaysia's Port Klang, spent PS Balls from shipyard processes are reused in road construction projects, minimizing waste disposal costs and creating value for used materials.

Conclusion

As Southeast Asia increases its contribution to global shipbuilding and maritime services, embracing high-standard abrasives such as garnet and PS Balls is vital. These state-of-the-art materials enable compliance, help increase operational efficiency, and impact sustainable development.

It ranges from enhancing blasting performance to minimizing environmental footprint, garnet and PS Balls are making shipyards and repair centre’s succeed in the long term in a competitive and dynamic maritime industry.

Need reliable abrasives for your industrial projects? Whether it’s high-quality Garnet for blasting and waterjet cutting or durable, reusable PS Balls for heavy-duty work, we can provide certified, eco-friendly solutions at competitive prices. Get in touch today for a bulk quote or a free consultation with our experts.

By Dini Domini K

CEO