MontiPower Japan developed a three-belt Bristle Blaster® with an Axle Bar for large flat steel: girder sections, plate stacks and tank interiors. The starting point was a customer who could prepare about 8 m² a day with a paint-stripper method and needed more. In Japanese field use the Triple has prepared more than 12 m² per day.
Large flat steel is slow to prepare by hand. On bridge girders, hull blocks and tank walls, operators move back and forth for hours, cycle times stretch and the result becomes uneven as fatigue sets in.
The 8 m² barrier
The development started with one Japanese customer. With its existing method, a chemical paint stripper followed by cleaning, the crew prepared about 8 m² per day, and the customer wanted to go further. In MontiPower Japan's comparisons, the competing power tool the customer was considering reached a similar maximum of about 8 m² per day under the same conditions. A tool that only matched the existing method would not change the job.
From four belts to three
MontiPower Japan first tried a four-belt configuration. The torque was too high and the set-up failed. The team settled on three belts, which MontiPower Japan reports as 1.5 times faster. The wider path covers more steel per pass, and the Axle Bar takes the back-and-forth out of the work: it guides the tool along long runs, so the operator covers more length with less effort.
Results in the field
- Starting point: about 8 m² of prepared surface per day with the paint-stripper method.
- Target: more than 10 m² per working day.
- Result reported by MontiPower Japan: more than 12 m² per day on flat surfaces.
- Typical applications: bridge girders, plate stacks, hull blocks and tank interiors.
MontiPower Japan has shipped the Ultimate Electric in a 100 V version since April 2026. The Triple sits between the single and double hand tools and automated systems in MontiPower Japan's line-up:
| Tool | Typical use | Indicative daily coverage* |
|---|---|---|
| Bristle Blaster® Single | Edges, welds, bolts, repair spots | about 4 m² |
| Bristle Blaster® Double | Girders, plates, weld seam repairs | about 8 m² |
| Bristle Blaster® Triple + Axle Bar | Bridges, hull blocks, tanks | about 12 m² |
* MontiPower Japan planning figures. Actual coverage depends on the substrate, the required cleanliness and profile, access and the operator.
Developed for Japan's ageing bridges and shipyards, the Triple is a Japanese solution that can travel: first to Japanese-owned assets across Asia, then wherever large flat steel needs grit-free preparation. See also MontiPower Japan.
Why it matters
By 2040, around three quarters of Japan's road bridges will be more than 50 years old. Keeping that steel coated is prevention rather than cure on a national scale. A tool that covers more surface per day with less operator fatigue (People), that replaces chemical stripping and needs no blast media to contain and dispose of over rivers and in shipyards (Planet), and that was engineered locally with the people who use it (Power) is exactly how we want innovation to work: close to the customer.
Large flat steel to prepare? Ask us about the Triple configuration and the Axle Bar for your project.
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