Non-Traditional Surface Preparation, and Coating Removal, Tools and Technologies (non-mechanical impact).

Added: May 16, 2012 4:13 pm Posted in error

Added: May 16, 2012 4:04 pm This is a request for information (RFI) issued by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) for information and planning purposes only. No award will be made from the responses to this announcement. However, responses may be used to determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for a future acquisition.

This RFI is for planning purposes only, and shall not be construed as a request for proposal (RFP) or as an obligation on the part of NRL to acquire any product or services. The NRL does not intend to award a contract based on this RFI or otherwise pay for the information requested. Submission of a response to this RFI is voluntary. The voluntary submission of a response to this RFI shall not obligate the NRL to pay or entitle the submitter to any compensation. All information and data received in response to this RFI marked or designated as corporate or proprietary information will be protected as such.

Corrosion related surface preparation and repair on Navy ships is a time consuming and mundane task for many sailors. Typically, this work is accomplished using archaic mechanical tools (e.g., needle guns, chipping hammers and metal grinders) to remove areas of coatings, rust and salt with the goal of generating a clean and corrosion free metal surface; poor or improper surface preparation has been noted by the corrosion technical community (e.g., National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) and Steel Structure Protective Coatings (SSPC) as the major cause for premature coating failure.

To advance the current state of surface preparation technologies for Ship's Force, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) seeks to identify, and to assess the maturity and applicability, of non-traditional surface preparation technologies with focus on cleaning efficiency and reduction in preparation time, as well determining if the technology imparts any or proper surface profile (2-3 mils). These technologies can range from methods of coating removal using microwaves, lasers, heat induction (focused heat), and ultrasound, which can all be categorized as "working waves", in lieu of current mechanical methods used by Sailor's on the deckplate noted above, or more industrial shipyard processes (e.g., high pressure water and abrasive blasting

The primary objective would be to stress technology that can be made portable (backpack wearable or on wheels) and easy for sailors to operate, with all units utilizing a handheld coating removal / surface preparation device and, where feasible, may incorporate a protective vacuum cone or shroud for both collection of hazardous waste and isolation of particles from contact with sailors and ship systems. Technologies do not have to be presently at such a readiness level for shipboard implementation but have an identifiable realistic path.