MontiPower Japan carried out the first field test in Japan of a water-driven underwater surface preparation system, for offshore wind construction and maintenance. The Bristle Blaster® Subsea runs on a single high-pressure water hose, uses no loose abrasive and gives an inspectable surface on piles, intakes, port structures and vessels.
Underwater steel corrodes fastest and is hardest to maintain. Divers work against current, poor visibility and limited bottom time, and conventional underwater tools are air-driven or oil-hydraulic, loud and heavy on hoses. Grit blasting underwater adds media to the water and makes the work face harder to see.
The system
The Bristle Blaster® Subsea is driven by water, not air or oil. As used by MontiPower Japan:
| Tool (BB Subsea BM200) | Up to 4,000 rpm · up to 300 bar · up to 30 L/min · 2.6 kg underwater weight |
| Pump unit | Diesel high-pressure unit (36 L/min, 300 bar): easy to load on board and move, and it does not freeze |
| Hose | Single, neutrally buoyant high-pressure hose |
| Finish | Inspectable surface, comparable to Sa 2½ / Sa 3 where accepted by the project |
| Media | No loose abrasive, no sand or grit to recover |
The same water-driven platform also runs a cavitation gun for cleaning, a core drill and a grinder/polisher option.
First field test in Japan
MontiPower Japan ran the first domestic field test of a water-driven underwater tool system, on underwater structure cleaning for offshore wind construction and maintenance. Operators described what they noticed compared with legacy tools:
- Quieter to operate
- Clearer visibility of the work face
- Fewer bubbles and a calmer water column around the tool
This is qualitative operator feedback, not measured data.
Customers who start with a rental often move to purchase or continue using the system. MontiPower Japan now offers sales and rental of pumps, HP units, brushes and service kits, and is developing a hybrid approach: a drone or ROV for inspection and coarse cleaning, then a diver with the Bristle Blaster® Subsea for the controlled finish.
Where it applies
Piles, power-station intakes, port walls, fisheries and aquaculture structures, vessels and offshore wind foundations. See underwater surface preparation.
Why it matters
Underwater, prevention rather than cure means treating corrosion before a structure loses section. A water-driven, grit-free tool keeps abrasive and residue out of the sea, which matters in ports and fisheries (Planet). It is quieter and easier to see with for the diver, and less hose to fight (People). And by pairing it with drones and ROVs, we are working towards less dive time per square metre (Power).
Underwater steel to maintain? Ask about sales or rental of the Bristle Blaster® Subsea system.
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