Steelpaint, German corrosion protection specialist, has completed a technical field test of its new Stelcatec-L repair coating on a Liebherr LHM 500 mobile harbour crane, operated by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel.
“The test programme at the Port of Hazira in Surat, India – made possible by the strategic collaboration and support of Steelpaint’s local partner, Kaptel Overseas – was carried out on a crane operating under severe C5 maritime conditions, characterised by high humidity and elevated salinity. Kaptel’s assistance was fundamental in ensuring the smooth completion of the project,” the company reported.
“The crane surfaces showed significant deterioration and low adhesion of the intermediate and topcoat layers, making it necessary to remove the damaged and poorly adhered layers through surface preparation to /St3 standards. Water quality was controlled to maintain total dissolved salt levels below 60 ppm, and an alkaline detergent solution was applied to remove extensive hydrocarbon contamination before high-pressure water washing,” it added.
In line with what was reported by Steelpaint, the areas that were cleaned down to the base steel received a two-coat system consisting of Stelcatec-L-PR (primer) and Stelcatec-L-TC (topcoat), applied to achieve a total dry film thickness (DFT) of 280 µm. “In areas where the residual primer was well adhered, the Stelcatec-L-TC topcoat was applied directly over the existing layer (after /roughening), achieving a combined system of 130 to 140 µm,” the entity specified.
Dmitry Gromilin, Steelpaint’s Technical Service Manager, stated that the project’s purpose was not simply to offer advanced corrosion protection, but to validate the performance of the Stelcatec-L system under real operating conditions within a severe marine environment, while simultaneously minimising the costs of corrective coatings during the service life of harbour cranes.
“One of the most outstanding performance characteristics is the system’s rapid recoatability. The second coat of Stelpant-1C-PU-Stelcatec-L-TC was applied just 25 minutes after the first, without causing any damage to the underlying layer,” Gromilin noted.
The average dry film thickness (DFT) after two coats was measured at 208.6 µm. Pull-off adhesion tests of the finished coating system yielded results of 8.19 MPa and 8.62 MPa, both considered satisfactory by the company. “This is indicative of a robust and well-adhered system,” he emphasised.
The project highlighted the practical application advantages of the new Stelcatec-L system under high-temperature field conditions. This included thorough verification and quality controls, salinity tests, DFT measurements, and adhesion tests in accordance with recognised ISO standards.
“The combination of controlled surface preparation, fast curing, and solid adhesion performance demonstrated that the technology is ideal for crane maintenance, where downtime and environmental exposure are critical factors,” Gromilin explained.
Stelcatec-L is Steelpaint’s new moisture-curing polyurethane coating, developed for corrosion protection in heavy-duty applications.
El sistema está diseñado para permitir intervalos de repintado rápidos, aplicación en espesores de película elevados y funcionamiento en un amplio margen de condiciones ambientales.
El director de Steelpaint, Frank Müller, declaró que “Este fue un proyecto práctico de reparación realizado bajo las condiciones reales del sitio, en lugar de una demostración en circunstancias controladas. El objetivo era entender cómo se comporta el revestimiento Stelcatec-L allí donde existen revestimientos previos, contaminación pesada y las presiones ambientales con las que los equipos de mantenimiento lidian todos los días”.
“El trabajo demostró que cuando un sistema existente aún mantiene su integridad, puede ser valioso realizar una reparación focalizada respaldada por inspecciones y pruebas, en lugar de recurrir de inmediato y por defecto a la eliminación completa. Stelcatec-L simplifica la aplicación, reduce los plazos de retorno al servicio y favorece la resiliencia a largo plazo de la infraestructura en entornos corrosivos”, complementó.
La aplicación de prueba se completó en la sección exterior del estabilizador trasero derecho de la grúa y permanecerá bajo observación como parte de la evaluación continua de Steelpaint sobre el rendimiento de sus revestimientos en entornos portuarios e industriales pesados.
