Fabric Maintenance
Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited have worked for over 45 years on trading vessels, during this period we have amassed an unparelled level of expertise in both the fabric maintenance and specialist cleaning aspects of shipboard maintenance.
Fabric maintenance is absolutely critical in ensuring the integrity of your vessels and their safe continued operation for their design life. Operating in some of the harshest environments on earth and with continually diminishing personnel and man-hours on board to execute these works utilizing the vessel’s crew and the lack of experience of the crew in undertaking these works, it is of paramount importance that a skilled and experienced team from DOCCL are mobilized to ensure quality and longevity.
We offer a variety of Surface preparation options via various means including to suit the specific area requiring attention and taking account of any constraints there may be onboard in terms of cost, availability of resources and importantly the coating system to be applied:
Abrasive blasting
Wet grit blasting
Vapour blasting
HP & UHP blasting (10 – 40,000 psi)
Mechanical preparation (including non-sparking options)
Deck scarifying
Handscraping and hand chipping
Surface Preparation
Surface Preparation covers a multitude of areas, for which Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited has a vast knowledge and experience.
Surface preparation is arguably the most important factor when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the steel structures of any vessel. Coating systems and the job they are designed to do are also critical however if they cannot first adhere correctly to the substrate they are protecting they will be unable to provide the theoretical protection they should. Selecting the correct method of surface preparation and executing this correctly and to the necessary standards is crucial, our Technical team and highly skilled teams will ensure that these critical elements are right at the front end and also during the execution of the project.
We have been at the forefront of developing our own systems or procuring the best on the market possible to fulfill a variety of surface preparation needs.
This has included in the early days of High-Pressure water blasting, marinizing units for the purpose of offshore use.
Our teams are fully skilled in all the methods of surface preparation including (but not limited to):
- Dry abrasive blasting
- UHP & HP water jetting
- Wet grit blasting
- Vapour Blasting
- Mechanical descaling
- Hand chipping and scraping
To discuss your requirements please do not hesitate to contact us.
Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited are experts in the use of mechanical tools to achieve quality and cost-effective surface preparation solutions onboard.
There are a vast amount of differing types of mechanical equipment available on the market and Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited has experience with all and a suitably placed to recommend the most suited for each project on an individual basis.
Mechanical preparation allows for projects to be undertaken in large flat areas such as decks through to intricate hard to reach areas such as pipe racks. The combination of a variety of equipment can provide an economical solution to the challenges faced with fabric maintenance.
Mechanical tools can also be used in hazardous areas requiring the eradication of ignition sources via the use of berryllium tools over steel. This allows for safe working to be achieved on tankers and other sensitive areas of vessels.
Below is listed a selection of the various mechanical tools we use to assist with surface preparation:
- Bristle Blasters
- Needle Guns
- Deck hammers
- Hand Scalers
- Chipping Hammers
- Deck scarifiers
Whether used independently as the sole method or in combination with other methods, mechanical preparation ensures safe, quality, and efficient results.
Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited has used and continues to use this method of blasting on many projects.
We have a wide variety of equipment and abrasive material available in order to suit the specific requirements of individual projects and each is assessed on their own merits and challenges.
Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited have successfully used abrasive grit blasting in a variety of areas onboard vessels, below is a brief outline, further details can be found in the vessel areas section:
- On Deck
- Hatch Covers
- Ballast Tanks
- Fresh Water Tanks
- Cargo Tanks
- Deck piping fixtures and fittings
Vapour Blasting is a method of preparation that Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited have used extensively over our 45 year history.
It has been utilized on a worldwide basis across many different areas of the vessel to achieve an excellent standard of surface preparation in a cost-effective manner.
Our specially designed equipment allows us to prepare areas where traditional methods are unable to be utilized.
Our system utilized water to propel the abrasive to prepare the surface. Our teams have extensive experience in this type of preparation method and have completed numerous operations.
Please contact us should you wish to further discuss the experience we have utilizing this method of preparation.
HP & UHP water blasting provides a very clean and environmentally friendly method of surface preparation.
We use water to blast at various pressures depending on the exact nature of the individual project in hand, the pressure utilized is often between 5,000 and 50,000 psi. When working with pressures as great as these the correct protection is paramount.
We have undertaken many projects utilizing water blasting on a variety of vessels and in numerous locations onboard. The projects have ranged from internal spaces such as ballast tank coating refurbishments to deck coating upgrades including pipe racks and associated fixtures and fittings. All of these have been undertaken and completed safely and successfully.
In order to undertake these projects, we have the ability to supply the latest units and accessories to offer the best solution possible.
Coating
Dickerman Overseas Contracting Company Limited are familiar with all coatings within the marine industry and liaise with all coating manufacturers to offer our clients the most cost effective and suitable solutions available.
We have experience with basic soft coats through to the most modern 2 pack 100% solid epoxies.
Coating choice is critical to align it with the intended function and area to be protected, our technical team can offer as part of any project the recommendations based upon nearly 50 years of experience safe in the knowledge that we are not affiliated with any manufacturer and as such will give our advice completely bias-free.
Our skilled personnel are fully conversant in the application of all coatings within the market place and coatings can be applied via a variety of methods.
Coating application via:
Please explore the coating options we have by scrolling through the below sections:
Suitable for large areas of coating application with the flexibility to apply the majority of high build high solids coatings to the substrate. The most common method of spray coating application, it is cost effective due to being quicker and more effective than conventional spray and brush application. It allows a productive, high quality, uniform finish (with uniform thickness). Small, portable and lightweight units, airless spraying can be used on various substrates including decks, bulkheads, module supports, tank internals, pipework areas and brackets, hulls/sideshell.
Can be utilised for specialist coating application including application of high solids (100% VOS) and short pot life / fast setting products. Also used for spray PFP application. Whilst more expensive than airless spray, Plural application has proven to be more productive than airless units on larger jobs and removes “hot potting”. Suitable for fast and uniform spraying (including thickness) of large areas with reduced material waste, has ability to heat and agitate products in the built-in materials tanks. Can be used to apply coating to bulkheads, pipework, structure, tank internals, hulls etc. Can also be used to apply PFP products to numerous areas.
Suitable for smaller areas of coating application. Conventional spray is more suited to lower solids / viscous coating products (i.e. top coats). A variety of aircaps and needle assemblies allows the operator to have better control on more complex/intricate structures. Can be used on various complex structures and substrates including ,module framework, structural steel beams, pipework and bracket areas.
Suitable for small touch-up areas, stripe coating, coating application to inaccessible spray areas and coating repair areas (after damage etc.). Brush coating can help the coating overcome surface tension. It is ideal for applying the coating products into crevices, difficult spray areas and irregular surfaces as well as edges, welds, nuts & bolts and steelwork joins. The coating can be worked/forced into the substrate rather than the coating bridging. Ensures coating coverage to substrates where spray application might not be able to fully reach or gain the required thickness.
