HHI using automatic spray head for bottom painting

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 — The world’s largest shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. has developed an automatic spray head for painting the bottom parts of ships. It has already deployed eleven of the spray head units at its Ulsan, South Korea, shipyard .

The automatic painting spray enables the paint to spread evenly across the surface saving 20% of the paint used compared with the manual painting method where painters have to bend their necks backwards and look up to paint the bottom of the ship.

The company expects the patented automatic spray heads to save about KRW 70 million per unit in its painting process annually.The equipment is also expected to help prevent painters from getting work-related musculoskeletal disorders and will enhance the painting performance of less experienced workers.