Using lasers to remove coatings and corrosion from U.S. naval vessels may soon become a reality based on recent testing conducted by Shop 71 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash.<\/p>\n
Laser ablation, which is widely used in the commercial automotive and aerospace industries, is proving to be easy to perform, while being cleaner, quieter and reducing the amount of vibration mechanics are exposed to versus legacy methods.<\/p>\n
According to Jeff Wood, process improvement manager, Shop 71, commercial-off-the-shelf laser ablation tools have certain advantages over methods such as needle guns, wire wheels, scraping, sanding, power sanding, chemical paint strippers and abrasive blasting. Noise reduction is one major advantage of using a laser ablation tool versus using a needle gun.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the levels we were seeing in our recent test, hearing protection was required within five feet of the laser operation, compared to 95 feet for the needle gun operation,\u201d said Wood. \u201cThe reduction in noise levels may help reduce noise exposure and the risk of hearing loss for our people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood said vibration reduction and debris reduction were also important factors discovered during testing. \u201cThere is practically no vibration felt by the operator when performing laser ablation work,\u201d he said. \u201cNeedle gunning often requires employees to wear anti-vibration gloves and even then, employees still need to regularly stop and stretch out their hands due to the vibration from the tools.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaser ablation is also very clean,\u201d he continued. \u201cUnlike other processes that create dust and debris, the laser vaporizes the coating or corrosion, and a fume extractor mounted to the unit ensures the byproduct is not spread around the work area.\u201d<\/p>\n
The recent round of testing is part of a longstanding effort to determine if laser ablation is a viable solution for work on U.S. Navy vessels. Shop 71 first performed laser ablation on USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2019. They conducted more testing on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) a couple of years later.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince then, we have committed to procuring several laser units and are working through creating a dedicated laser booth for our inside shop work,\u201d Wood said. \u201cScott Castro (Code 368 zone manager), Brandon Talley (Shop 71 painter general foreman), Shane Eddy (Shop 71 nuclear general foreman), and I have continued to research the implementation of this technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood said other public shipyards, warfare centers, and Trident Refit Facilities are already working on implementing this technology as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cNAVSEA is committed to helping us with this effort,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have purchased laser ablation units for the other shipyards and Trident Refit Facilities. Deniz Ferrin at NAVSEA04XT leads the Corrosion Control and Repair Technology Focus Team. We use this group as a medium to share information, ideas, plans for laser ablation and use cases. The team is full of people committed to improving the way we perform corrosion control on Navy ships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood said the potential for laser ablation to save time, money, and wear and tear on people and naval vessels makes pursuing it worthwhile.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing this technology on areas where the use of power tools is not authorized \u2014 think pad eye inspections and certain pipe inspections \u2014 or coating removals on certain cast metal parts would be a good start,\u201d he said. \u201cAnother good use for this technology is on parts or systems with foreign material exclusion installed, and on more delicate materials such as fiberglass, where we currently hand sand or abrasive blast with plastic media. We can use laser ablation around those riskier areas and abrasive blast the remaining areas, reducing the risk of introducing blast grit into a system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood said laser ablation isn\u2019t a total replacement for all of the tools and processes Shop 71 currently uses. If it turns out to not be the best tool for certain jobs, legacy methods and tools can still be used.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an emerging technology that will get better and better as time goes on,\u201d he said. \u201cThere may be roadblocks and hurdles that seem daunting at the moment, but as we spend more time getting familiar with it, we will streamline the process and really figure out where it shines. We have plans to conduct more research and tests with this equipment in the meantime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood said it is encouraging to see the support from the highest levels of leadership at PSNS & IMF, and NAVSEA. This allows large groups of problem solvers to collaborate to figure out solutions for any obstacle they run into. \u201cIt is also nice to see project management getting involved,\u201d he said. \u201cCollaboration across the enterprise is helping get funding, resolution to problems, and real-world experience with the technology. There are a lot of people smarter than me making this all possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
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