The Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (CHI) Zhoushan shipyard recently partnered with Hempel to conduct a technical workshop on air-assisted airless spray (AAAS) technology, aligning with national VOC reduction initiatives.
The workshop focused on operational principles and environmental benefits of AAAS, a hybrid coating method combining air spray and airless spray advantages. During trials on the Maersk Vigo, AAAS demonstrated 40% less paint mist dispersion compared to conventional spraying used on sister vessel GSL Eleni in the same dry dock. The technology improves coating uniformity while reducing material waste by 20%-30%, as validated in recent projects.
CHI (Zhoushan) has implemented various green coating solutions, including electrostatic spraying on the Yuanchunhu that cut paint consumption by 25%. The shipyard is currently testing robotic and automated spraying systems through industry collaborations.
The AAAS equipment’s lightweight design and broad material compatibility have enabled rapid adoption across repair projects. CHI (Zhoushan) plans to expand this technology to 60% of its coating operations by 2026, supporting China’s shipbuilding emission reduction targets.
Image: Airless spray coating tests on the ‘Maersk Vigo’ (source: Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry)
