Trelleborg Marine Systems will be exhibiting at “Prevention First: An Onshore and Offshore Pollution Prevention Symposium & Technology Exhibition” in Long Beach, California on the 23rd and 24th October 2012.
Representatives from Trelleborg will be attending to showcase their portfolio of docking and mooring solutions, as well as discussing new analytical and chemical tests, recently developed by Trelleborg, which aim to help port and facility operators, owners and consultants make more informed decisions about the quality of the rubber in the fenders they procure.
Richard Hepworth, Managing Director at Trelleborg Marine Systems said: “ Up until now, buyers of rubber fenders didn’t have an easy method to enable them to identify the rubber composition and determine the properties of the fenders they procure.”
“High quality rubber is required to make certain that a fender remains stable and suitable for the use it was intended for, throughout its lifecycle. We’ve designed a new analytical test to help buyers understand and substantiate the composition of rubber fenders so that decision makers can be sure of the quality of the fenders they procure.”
To demonstrate and quantify the difference in rubber compound characteristics of a high quality and low quality fender, Trelleborg took samples from two commercial sized fenders and analytical and physical tests were carried out in an independent third party laboratory.
The research showed that rubber composition has an enormous effect on both the velocity and temperature factors as well as the durability of the fenders. These two factors are crucial to calculate the most accurate performance of a fender.
Ensuring the correct performance of marine fenders ensures maximum protection of the port infrastructure and the vessels that come to berth there. The research also showed that although higher percentages of recycled rubber in the rubber formulation reduces the compound cost, and, as such, the upfront cost of the fender, it also substantially reduces the life cycle of the fenders.
Decision makers should be aware of key differences and the varying quality on offer when buying on the basis of short term cost savings.
The Prevention First exhibition, which will host over 400 representatives from the public sector and private industry, will discuss pollution prevention as well as engineering, safety and security products.
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Trelleborg Marine, October 22, 2012