Dual Sander/High-Pressure Water Cleaning (HP WC) Unit for Recoat Surface Preparation

"The production of an automated robotic unit capable of preparinga surface for recoat, without the need to strip the surface tobare metal, can save the surface preparation industry tens ofmillions of dollars in time and clean-up costs by eliminatingslow and dangerous manual labor. The construction of a self-contained portable pump and vacuum unit to power the roboticcrawler created in Phase I will make on-site trials possible forresearch, marketing, and production. In phase I it was proventhe dual sander/high pressure water-cleaning unit is capable oftraversing a laboratory test wall while preparing the surface forrecoat. To bring the product to market, it will be necessary toperform tests on location. Real life conditions will need to beencountered to refine the robotic unit for commercial use.BENEFITS: Completing the development of phase I will bring the surface preparation industry a new method of surface preparation. The remotely operated tool will remove many of the present hazards,including working at dangerous heights. It will speed the process of surface preparation up to 300% in many situations. It will automatically contain the waste, preserving the environment. It will benefit the user economically, because of theperformance quality, speed, and relative initial cost."