Manuplas® supply bespoke five-piece sprayed bow fender system
Thursday, 1st October 2020
The challenge
Our customer, based in Singapore, contacted us when they needed a bow fender solution for one of their oil and gas crew boats delivered and fitted in a very short timeframe. In addition to the short timeframe, the solution had to be impact resistant to protect the vessel and marine structures and cost-effective.
Our solution
The Manuplas marine team designed, manufactured and installed a five piece sprayed bow fender system; the modular approach and design of our bow fenders offers flexibility on the shape, size and technical specification of fendering solution supplied and enabled us to provide a solution without the need to invest in costly and time-consuming mould tooling.
Designed to offer optimum impact absorption and grip, this type of fender is supplied and installed in five sections:
- One forward (middle) bow section
- Two side sections
- Two aft side sections
These are manufactured from a high-performance, cross-linked polyethylene foam core, and coated in a highly-abrasion-resistant polyurethane elastomer skin, which is reinforced with two layers of Kevlar to increase the tear resistance of the fender. The fendering is held in place with adhesive and straps. The middle bow fender section has a non-slip finish to increase crew safety when the vessel is used to board structures.
Compared to traditional rubber ‘D’ fendering solutions, Manuplas® bow fenders are up to 60% lighter, improving the speed and efficiency of vessels. The highly-absorbent and abrasion-resistant material is virtually non-marking and can withstand the harsh, offshore environments in which search and rescue and wind farm vessels commonly operate.
Pull out quote
“Manuplas® have been with us every step of the way, from our initial point of contact, through to ensuring rapid supply and delivery of the fender sets which met the time frame. Their systems offer the ultimate solution for shipbuilder, owner and operator alike and, because they provide a modular approach, their fenders are easy to install and replace as required.”
