Paintwork is the calling card of every yacht, so all of it needs to be flawless. Flaws or damage not only spoil the way it looks but can also entail more serious consequences. However, imperfections on the outer coating are often blamed on the wrong causes. The consequence is expensive and unnecessary repair processes that do not provide a long-term solution to the problem. It's then only a matter of time before the damage reappears.
WREDE Technology (WRETEC) is specialised in precisely determining the individual causes of coating errors. The Hamburg-based company works closely with Wrede Consulting GmbH. The experts have decades of experience in the field of yacht coatings, both in supporting the construction of new yachts and in providing advice on warranty and repair cases. Using high-end technology, WRETEC is setting a new industry standard for the analysis of paintwork damage on superyachts. The technology-supported, unequivocal identification of the cause of damage is unique on the market to date. Unnecessary and especially recurring repair work on yacht coatings can thus be avoided.
“With our instruments, we are able to determine the causes of anomalies in the coating very precisely,” says Jan Reygers, Project Manager at WRETEC: “Similar to the field of medicine, symptoms that at first appear to be the same can have very different causes.” For a sustainable solution to the problem, damage should therefore not be repaired using a one-size-fits-all approach. It is better to identify the root cause of the problem beyond any doubt and to find a tailor-made solution.
The key component of the Hamburg-based analysis specialists is a digital 3D microscope that enables individual coating layers to be enlarged up to 5,000 times and displayed as 3D images on the monitor. Digital 3D light microscopy is able to identify even the smallest dust inclusions in individual layers of paintwork. In addition, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique can be used to draw conclusions about insufficient curing. This enables WRETEC staff to determine whether, for example, drying times were not adhered to and the ensuing layer was applied too early. The technology has been tried and tested in real-world applications and has a consistently positive success rate.
WRETEC originated from the situation that despite seemingly correct repair measures, damage to the coating would recur at regular intervals. This phenomenon is not unusual in the industry, but it can be avoided. “When it comes to diagnostics, we don't want to rely on assumptions, but create clarity,” says WRETEC founder Kay Wrede. “The combination of the years of experience of our surveyors and state-of-the-art high-tech provides maximum certainty in investigating the causes.”
Jan Reygers and his team not only provide support for damage analysis, but by planning and carrying out testing in line with application requirements can also prevent specific complications from occurring in new builds before they happen. This is made possible, among other things, by close cooperation with various laboratories, enabling a large number of possible analyses to be performed. The services also help to ensure that insurance claims are handled as neutrally and transparently as possible, so that everyone is given a fair shake.
About WREDE Technology
Founded in 2016, WREDE Technology (WRETEC) is the first port of call when it comes to the unequivocal clarification of coating damage on superyachts. The Hamburg-based company benefits from Wrede Consulting GmbH's many years of experience in consulting on coating processes and combines this with state-of-the-art technical analysis methods. More information is available at: www.wretec.com
