Safety in the marine industry is set o be improved after AkzoNobel, oil and gas tanker operator Barrier
Group and DroneOps joined forces to
develop a drone capable of remotely inspecting enclosed spaces and ballast water tanks.
The project will use advanced virtual
reality technology to deliver safer, more
accurate evaluations of ballast water
tanks, offshore wind farms and other
enclosed or difficult to access spaces on
ships and marine structures, including in-
spections of coatings and corrosion.
Traditionally, inspections are car-
ried out by crew, surveyors or indepen-
dent inspectors - a potentially risky
activity which represents one of the most
common causes of work-related fatalities
in the industry.
“Surveys of enclosed spaces and bal-
last water tanks are an essential part of
routine maintenance and are increas-
ingly critical for ship owners,” explained
Michael Hindmarsh, business develop-
ment manager at AkzoNobel’s Marine
Coatings business.
AkzoNobel & Partners Develop
DroneTechnology to Make Marine Industry Safer
PPG Begins Project at Alabama Constitution Village in Huntsville
PPG announced the start of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES project in Huntsville, Alabama, to help renovate and beautify Constitution Hall and the site at Alabama Constitution Village, which
is considered to be the birthplace of Alabama. As part of the
effort, on Saturday, March 25, about 50 volunteers will serve as
volunteer painters, gardeners and landscapers on the Constitution Hall grounds. The volunteers include PPG employees and
family members, team members of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, and employees of the Early Works Family of Museums that operates Alabama Constitution Village.
The Colorful Communities program provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring
color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Huntsville, where PPG operates an aerospace transparencies facility and has two area PPG
PAINTS™ stores.
In addition to the volunteers, PPG is providing $61,000 as
well as 250 gallons of its products – SEAL GRIP® universal alkyd
primer and color-matched FORTIS® 450 exterior paint – to restore the exterior aesthetic of Constitution Hall. When the project is completed in June, PPG employees will volunteer again
at the site, serving as docents, activity leaders and community
open-house hosts during a special “PPG Week” of events.
Constitution Hall is a reproduction of the vacant cabinet shop
in which 44 delegates of Alabama’s first constitutional convention met on July 5, 1819, to organize Alabama as the 22nd state.
It is built on the original shop’s foundation, and it is the first building at Alabama Constitution Village to be restored in preparation for Alabama’s bicentennial. A nonprofit agency of the City
of Huntsville, Alabama Constitution Village is one of three museums comprising the Early Works Family of Museums. Programming at the village serves north Alabama schoolchildren and
families, and thousands of visitors are expected in 2018 and 2019
as Alabama celebrates its bicentennial.
“PPG is pleased
to support the res-
toration of Constitu-
tion Hall by providing
funding, volunteers
and products for a
project that is impor-
tant to Huntsville, the
state of Alabama and our country,” said Tom Meyer, PPG plant
manager at the Huntsville aerospace facility. “Helping ensure
that future generations can glimpse an important moment
from history at Constitution Hall will be a source of pride for all
of us at PPG. We are especially grateful to be joined by team
members from Toyota, which is a customer of PPG’s automo-
tive coatings business.”
Toyota is contributing funding for restoration of the replica of
Sheriff Stephen Neal’s house at Constitution Village.
“We want to build more than just great cars,” said Kim Ogle,
Toyota Alabama corporate communications analyst. “We also
want to build great communities where our team members and
customers live and work. We are thrilled to partner with PPG on
this project to improve Constitution Village and applaud their
efforts to organize a partnership opportunity that will benefit our
community for generations to come.”
Bart Williams, executive director, Early Works Family of Mu-
seums, said, “We have been amazed by the support this com-
munity is showing Alabama Constitution Village in preparation
for Alabama’s bicentennial in 2019. It’s these community partner-
ships that will ensure the success of Alabama Constitution Vil-
lage during the bicentennial celebration and also leave a lasting
legacy for the future.”
Preparation work and painting of the exterior of Constitution
Hall are being done by professionals with Jason Howard Paint-
ing of Huntsville.
