Munters supply a dry environment for royal yacht britannia and rfa argus repaint

MUNTERS SUPPLY A DRY ENVIRONMENT FOR ROYAL YACHT BRITANNIA AND RFA ARGUS REPAINT The technique requires painting to proceed under a one or two tent which is kept a t suitable temperature and humidity to protect underlying structure, preventing blooming of bright mental and assist curing of surface coatings applied. HMY Britannia required refurbishment following grit blasting of the old paint layer whilst the air training ship RFA Argus was in dry dock for refurbishment of its helicopter flight decks. In both instances evidence had to be provided to show that critical curing temperatures had been adhered to before an acceptance certificate could be obtained and , in addition, all work had to be completed within a tight schedule. Inclement weather could, under no circumstances, be allowed to intervene. Using a proven Munters controlled environment with tenting on both vessels work proceeded sequentially from bow to stern, port sine then starboard. On HMY Britannia, the project began with an M1000 desiccant dehumidifier positioned at the bow, a 22kw heater in line amidships with a Nederman back-up fan in line to draw dry, warm air in a steady stream towards the stern. "Y" pieces were used to push this 'conditioned' air to the precise areas being worked on. A tight MOD specification of 70% RH and 10ºC had to be maintained around the clock with steel temperature3ºC above dewpoint. At one stage torrential unseasonal rain required an additional heater to ensure work of the required standard and specification could continue without interruption. This need was picked up automatically by Munters engineers using sophisticated ongoing monitoring techniques. Single skin tenting on the RFA Argus was protected by four M1000 Munters 3 dehumidifiers each bathing the area with 1000m of warm dry air every hour. Temperature conditions were met by using 4 22kw heaters in conjunction with the dryers. Four M1000 dehumidifiers were also employed to maintain conditions within the double skin tenting, along with 3 22kw heaters to ensure that ambient temperature inside the tents was 18ºC drybulb around the clock. Munters successfully maintained environmental conditions to MOD standard NOS 75 Issue 2 - August 1985 throughout the refurbishment period. The Munters' method of conditioned tenting is now widely specified as a proven, cost efficient and effective way of completing complex, major refits within stringent time/cost limits. On both the HMY Britannia and RFA Argus refurbishment projects Munters engineers worked closely with the Fleet Maintenance and Repair organisation at HM Naval Base, Portsmouth. Munters is the world leader in moisture control with products and services for dehumidification, humidification and cooling of air. Operations are divided into three geographic regions - Europe, the Americas and Asia. Manufacturing and sales are carried out via the Group's own companies in 25 countries. The Group has 1,936 employees. Munters is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/12/22/19990805BIT00140/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/12/22/19990805BIT00140/bit0002.pdf