Japan’s largest shipowner has teamed up with a top yard and tech firm Furukawa Electric to trial a laser system to remove rust and coatings from a bulk carrier. Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) worked with Tsuneishi Shipbuilding to use Furukawa’s InfraLaser system when a bulk carrier went in for a regular dry dock. “During ship repairs, rust and coatings are removed for hull inspection and repainting. However, the current sandblasting method, which removes rust and coatings by blasting abrasive materials against the surface, scatters waste materials and removed paint as debris, necessitating recovery efforts,” MOL explained in a release. By replacing sandblasting with a laser blasting method that generates minimal waste, dust, and noise, MOL expects to reduce environmental impact and improve occupational health. MOL said it aims to make the use of laser blasting more common place going forward, also touting the system’s robot, saving labour costs. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); });