High-pressure washing
The washing of surfaces by waterjet can be applied to virtually any surface and can remove any kind of deposit. It can be delicate or aggressive depending on the requirements thanks to the several possible adjustments. Small water quantities are required and, as opposed to other methods such as sandblasting, the required waste management is minimal.
Depending on the application, it is possible to use either fresh water or seawater as cleaning medium. An advantage of waterjet equipment is that a pump unit can be used for a variety of applications depending on the applied accessories. For example, in an oil refinery the same pump can be used for the cleaning of heat exchangers, piping, tanks, exhaust chimneys, water cutting, surface preparation and general cleaning.
Hydromechanical descaling
Steel plants are notoriously difficult environments, with machinery exposed to extreme heat, contaminants, potentially poor water quality and weather. Hydromechanical descaling during steel lamination can remove the layer of iron oxide and improve the surface quality. Waterjetting technology is cheaper than the use of hydraulic oil, it is not toxic and does not produce in waste material. Water jets can also be used to remove deposits from furnace doors and keeps the plant and pipes clean for the maximum efficiency.
Advantages of waterjetting:
- It is the most effective cleaning and descaling method
- Reduced energy requirements
- No risk of fire in hot areas
- Improves surface quality in descaling operations
- The pump can also be used for other cleaning and cutting operations
Heat exchanger cleaning
Removal of limescale and obstructions. Industrial heat exchangers are prone to forming scale and obstruction which drastically reduce heat transfer and process efficiency. Cleaning the heat exchanger with water jets is the quickest and most effective method for both internal and external cleaning. The high-pressure water jet removes scales and obstruction with ease, leaving a polished finish on the internal surface on the pipe, slowing the future formation of deposits.
Advantages of waterjetting:
- It is environmentally friendly
- Quicker than alternative methods
- More accurate than alternative methods
- Does not cause damage to the pipes
- It leaves a polished surface finish
- Uses only water, there is no chemical waste
- Heat exchangers can be cleaned on-site or brought to a different site while the plant is not operational
- Flexible lances can follow bends in the pipe
- The pump can also be used for other cleaning and cutting operations
Tank cleaning
Any sector which requires tanks, silos, mixers, boilers etc can benefit from an automated cleaning system of the vessels, without the need for human operators to enter enclosed areas. Conventionally, workers with PPE and respirators have to enter the tank and clean it manually with high-pressure lances. With more attention to health and safety, we offer systems which enable the use of rotary cleaners. The high-pressure cleaner rotates automatically for a complete 3D cleaning of the entire surface of the vessel. The nozzle has a variable speed and can be adjusted for cleaning times between 5 and 60 minutes. The cleaner can be lowered into the tank by a positioning system or a hose reel, and held in position during cleaning.
Advantages of waterjetting:
- No need for human access
- Better H&S practices possible
- Environmentally friendly, uses only water
- Reduced cleaning times
- No need to dispose of chemical detergents
- Vessels of any diameter can be cleaned using positioning systems to keep the cleaner near the walls
- The tank cleaning head is completely adjustable for a correct cleaning of all surfaces
- Water jets at high speeds can travel a significant distance
- Water jets do not damage steel tanks, or tanks coated with glass
- The pump can also be used for other cleaning and cutting operations
Underwater cleaning
Removal of marine growth. Waterjetting is a commonly used technique for the removal of fouling from ship hulls, rigs and other submerged structures. Even the removal of concrete from underwater pipes is possible for inspection without damaging the pipe. The work is carried out by divers, which use a balanced waterjet lance, with a rear-facing jet to compensate the reaction of the forward jet. For this reason, it is common to use pump units with a higher flowrate in this use case, because only half of the power is used by the main jet.
Advantages of waterjetting:
- Removes of any growth without damaging the substrate
- Can use seawater
- Does not cause pollution
- It is the fastest among all cleaning method
- Versatile: it can be used for a variety of cleaning and cutting activities
- Can be used manually or applied to ROVs
- It is sometimes the only method applicable
- Pressure can be increased to 2000 or 2500bar for paint removal
- With a cutting accessory, the same pump can be used for cutting thick underwater steel structures for demolition
- The pump can also be used for other cleaning and cutting operations
Pipe cleaning
Removal of scaling and obstructions. Industrial pipes can be obstructed by corrosion and deposits, sometimes to the point of being completely clogged. This reduces efficiency and forces unforeseen shutdowns. To clean the pipes, it is possible to use a wide range of pressures, depending on the type of deposit. There are both fixed and rotary nozzles, with jets oriented backward to pull the nozzle forward in the pipe. Backward water flow also carries the debris to the open end of the pipe. For increasing pipe diameters, higher flowrates are required for an effective cleaning, and rolling frames are used to keep the nozzles near the centre of the pipe, for a more uniform effect.
Advantages of waterjetting:
- Pipes with diameters of 10 to 1000mm (and beyond) can be cleaned
- Any deposit can be removed, such as limescale, corrosion, process deposits and even concrete
- Waterjetting automatically removes the debris as the cleaning hose is retracted
- Vertical pipes can be cleaned from the top down
- It leaves a polished surface finish
- Even completely clogged pipes can be cleaned
- A steel pipe can be cleaned up to the bare metal surface, removing even oxidation
- Water jets do not damage the pipe’s surface
- The pump can also be used for other cleaning and cutting operations
