From cutting and drilling to paint stripping and removing maritime fouling, underwater tasks in the maritime environment are as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach. Some of these applications
From cutting and drilling to paint stripping and removing maritime fouling, underwater tasks in the maritime environment are as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach. Some of these applications are carried out at depths of several thousand meters. A new laser system based on blue diode lasers now promises a contact-free, low-maintenance, and cost-efficient solution for a wide range of underwater operations.
Whether in the maintenance of offshore platforms, the decommissioning of old oil rigs, or the inspection of underwater structures, the demands for precision, efficiency, and environmental compatibility in subsea operations continue to increase. At the same time, conventional methods quickly reach their limits here. Common pressure-based processing methods, such as high-pressure water jets used to remove algae growth, lose their effectiveness with increasing depth due to the high counterpressure of the water. Additionally, many of these systems require intensive maintenance and are prone to wear. Mechanical tools such as circular saws, in turn, generate recoil forces upon contact with components, which destabilize remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and often cause them to drift away.
Consequently, the industry shows great interest in contact- and force-free, low-wear, low-maintenance alternatives – possibilities that laser technology in particular can offer.
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