pneumatic fenders are common ship accessories in the maritime industry. But if you don’t understand the maritime industry at all, you will think “what is this strange thing?” at first sight. This is normal. I didn’t even know that there would be this thing on the side of the ship before I started working. There was even a joke on the beach of a certain country.
What is pneumatic fender？
The pneumatic fender is a kind of buffer, also called Yokohama fender, because it was invented in 1985 by a rubber product company in Yokohama, Japan. The interior is filled with high-pressure air. It can be easily deflated, so that it can be easily relocated and re-commissioned. The pneumatic fender is used to absorb the kinetic energy of the ship docking, dock wall or ship docking. Fenders can be applied to all types of ships from cargo ships to cruise ships, ferries and private yachts, and can prevent damage to ships and berthing structures.
Learn more about the history of Yokohama fenders
Pneumatic fender sizes
The size of the inflatable pneumatic fender has a set of standard sizes, which is specified in the industry production standard ISO17357. Determine the size of the pneumatic fender according to the existing common ship size. pneumatic fenders have 12 standard diameter sizes and 13 standard length sizes. They form 17 standard pneumatic rubber fender standard sizes through different combinations. The diameter range of the pneumatic fender is 0.5m~4.5m, and the length range is 1m~12m. Commonly used sizes in ship-to-ship operations are 3.3mx6.5m and 2mx3.5m.
Nowadays, many end users have special size requirements, and most manufacturers can customize non-standard size pneumatic fenders according to customer requirements to meet the special needs of users.
Pneumatic fender uses
pneumatic fenders are mainly used to block collisions with ships. It can greatly deflect and reduce berthing energy without causing permanent damage to the hull or concrete of the berth. Yokohama fenders are very suitable for the requirements of short-term ports of call, maritime cargo transfer, buoyancy assistance, and double berthing of ships. Use chains and shackles to be installed on the pre-installed base of the dock to make the fender float horizontally on the shore to adapt to the berthing of the boat under the changing water level of the tide.
Yokohama pneumatic fenders can also be installed on the side of the hull to prevent collisions between two ships during docking operations at sea. This kind of operation is also known as STS, which is more common in the handover of liquid cargo at sea. Sometimes ships need to do double berthing operations, that is, a ship is moored in the port, and there is another berthing method on the outside with the moored vessel. This berthing method can be quickly and effectively transferred Cargo improves the efficiency of cargo transshipment at the terminal. Pneumatic fenders are indispensable anti-collision equipment in double berthing operations of ships.
In addition to the most basic method of use, pneumatic fenders can also temporarily provide buoyancy for the vessel, preventing the vessel from bottoming in some shallow water depths.
Pneumatic fender price
The price of an pneumatic fender depends on its production process and materials. Different production methods have different costs, and the cost gap between the materials used is also very large. There are two main production methods for pneumatic rubber fenders, one is the mold type and the other is the winding type. Molded inflatable pneumatic fenders have no connection points and are integrally formed pneumatic fenders. The winding type is manually wound layer by layer with rubber sheets. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The production of winding fenders does not require the production of molds, so a part of the mold costs are saved. So the price is relatively cheaper.
The rubber material used in the pneumatic fender has purity requirements, and the impurities in the material shall not exceed the prescribed standards. Some manufacturers will stick to the upper limit of impurities to purchase inferior rubber materials, which can effectively reduce their production costs, so they can be sold very cheaply. So if you find that the price quoted by the other company is many times cheaper than the other company you asked for, then you have to be careful about whether there is a problem with the quality of their products.
As a manufacturer and supplier, we understand the buyer’s desire to buy high-quality products at a low price. However, in a rational analysis, cheap products must cut production costs, and product quality cannot be guaranteed. Sunhelm purchases pure natural rubber sheet materials with very few impurities. We don’t want customers to receive products that are too poor in quality and lead to low safety, so that the whole process is unpleasant to use。So even if the price of other manufacturers in China No matter how low it is, we will not compete with them for low prices. Sunhelm always believes that you get what you pay for, resists unhealthy low-price competition, and hopes to bring true high-quality, cost-effective pneumatic fender products to compatriots in the maritime industry all over the world.
After reading the introduction of this article. Do you know more about pneumatic fenders? If this article solves your question, you can share it on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social platforms for more people to see. If you are interested in our pneumatic fender products, you can send us an email to request a quotation.See you next time!