Ensuring Our Client Met A Tight Deadline During The Painting Of A Type 26 Warship

Project Overview

Our client plays a key role within the building, repair and maintenance of warships for the UK.

This project was on a brand new type 26 ship, a multi mission warship and the first of its kind, designed to protect anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general Royal Navy operations. The ship was in its fitout stage, and following various alterations within hundreds of compartments, painting works were due to begin, attempting something never done before – painting the entire interior in one go.

Challenge

The client reached out to RVT Group after it was identified the usual process for drying out paint on ships would not be feasible due to power limitations. At this point of the project, conditions were cold and damp. Ensuring tight deadlines were met would be crucial in enabling the customer to meet a major milestone and ultimately make way in the dry dock for the next ship to be fitted out.

The key challenge our client faced was that over 700 compartments required painting in one continuous operation. The steel needed to be maintained at above 5°C for paint to adhere properly, and relative humidity was to be maintained under 55% for quality assurance.

Solution

Following an on-site survey by RVT, we were able to implement an effective heating solution for all 700 compartments on the ship in record time.

Our installation consisted of a range of CLIMEX® Indirect Oil-Fired Heaters, VENTEX® 300M Centrifugal ATEX Rated Fans, outlet hoses and ducting. The system provided warm, dry heat to the entire ship, and ensured moisture was quickly removed from the air. This solution provided heat to specific areas using long lengths of small-bore hoses, with the heat arriving directly at the target area. One of the benefits of this method, was the ability to slowly increase the overall temperature on board. The hoses themselves acted like a radiator, heating all routes to the targeted compartments. The equipment was based on the jetty, and entered the vessel with 600mm flexible ducting; providing huge volumes of warm air into the ship.

The Centrifugal Fans were critical in providing warm air distribution evenly throughout the ship.

We provided an experienced installation team to deliver the initial setup, followed by a rotation of engineers who maintained the equipment and monitored the thermal environments for the duration of the painting project. Following the implementation of RVT’s equipment, we successfully supported the project meeting its milestone within the requirements set out. We concluded the project by revisiting site for a 'lessons learned' meeting. The client was pleased with the performance of the solution and the way RVT understood and reacted to the emergency requirement, especially considering the timescales given to solve the problem. The equipment was off-hired and removed before the anticipated end date – the ultimate sign of a project completing with time to spare.