Among the traditional methods for removing paint from steel surfaces, abrasive blasting is the most commonly used. This requires the operator to wear a full-body chemical protecting suit. In many applications, such as in shipbuilding, the nearby area needs to be evacuated, which delays other maintenance or repair tasks and increases downtime. With limited ability to recover the toxic paint residues, they drop in the water or are carried by air and harm the environment.   

The Envirobot™ robotic system uses ultra-high-pressure water jets (55,000 psi) to strip the hull down to bare metal. All the water used in the stripping is recovered by a powerful vacuum system and recycled. The only residue of the cleaning is the paint itself, which is automatically dumped into containers for proper disposal. 

The water-based stripping process produces a much cleaner metal surface, which greatly increases the life of the new paint applied to the ship. Compared to any form of sand- or grit-blasting, a hydroblasted surface is easily proven to rust less, and to allow paint to adhere better.