A 'go-anywhere' magnetic water jetting machine which can be used
to clean almost any large steel surface has been developed by
Midlands-based Jetstream Europe.
The Magnetic Crawler M250 is specially designed to remove
coatings, rust and scale in a variety of positions, not only
horizontally and vertically but also in inclined and overhead
applications.
It is suitable for use on ship hulls, storage tanks and any
large areas of steel that need surface preparation prior to
applying a new coating.
The lightweight aluminium device features rubber-covered crawler
tracks and two pneumatically actuated drive modules, which make it
very mobile and easy-to-manoeuvre.
The crawler, which is able to safely stick to the surface thanks
to 8 permanent magnets positioned on either side of the tracks,
also moves easily across weld seams and uneven areas.
Its cleaning head typically incorporates a 250mm nozzle bar and
a vacuum device for removing debris including paint and dirt. The
vacuum system uses a rotary piston pump to produce a flow rate of
2,100 m³/h and 500 mbar. Different sizes of nozzle bars are
available to suit specific applications.
The crawler is operated using a mobile control panel and easy to
handle as the frame is built from aluminium. Jetstream Europe also
supplies a safety device, which prevents the crawler from falling
to the ground in the event of incorrect operation.
"This magnetic crawler opens up new dimensions in cleaning and
preparing steel surfaces by means of high pressure water
technology. Its 250mm nozzle bar achieves a far greater removal
rate of up to five times more than a standard jetting gun," said
Danny Monaghan, Jetstream Europe's UK technical and operations
manager.
"Jetstream Europe has created a unique design that comprises a
bank of 'floating magnets', which mean this machine can
effortlessly negotiate large welded seams, dents or other surface
distortions without falling off.
"In addition, no vacuum is required to keep the crawler on the
surface, it is only used to recover coating debris and waste water
to a collection point to maintain site cleanliness," he added.
Jetstream Europe is based in Halesowen, West Midlands, and
supplies tools and accessories for a wide range of tasks including
hydro demolition, tube, pipe and tank cleaning, paint and
protective coating removal.