Pneumatic fenders manufactured by Henger Shipping Supply are an important piece of equipment used in marine operations to protect vessels during docking and mooring. These air-filled fenders absorb the vessel’s kinetic energy. This reduces impact and prevents damage to the vessel and docking structure. The fender has a strong rubber outer layer and a reinforced tire cord layer. The cord layer wraps around a high-pressure air bladder.
Pneumatic fenders are critical for the safety and efficiency of offshore operations. This is especially true in busy ports, ship-to-ship transfers, and offshore platforms. With the ability to withstand harsh marine environments and provide reliable performance in varying tidal conditions, pneumatic fenders are an essential piece of equipment for safety at sea.
As a leading manufacturer of high-quality pneumatic fender products, Henger Shipping Supply adheres to standards such as ISO 17357-1:2014 to ensure the durability and effectiveness of our products.
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What Are Pneumatic Fenders?
Pneumatic fenders are inflatable devices. They are designed to protect vessels and docks by cushioning them during marine operations. They absorb the kinetic energy generated during docking, greatly reducing impact and preventing damage. These fenders were first developed by Yokohama Rubber Company in 1958, and due to their reliability and durability, they have become a standard device in the marine industry. Pneumatic fenders have three main parts. These are an outer rubber layer for abrasion resistance, a tire cord layer for reinforcement, and an internal air bladder. The bladder is filled with high-pressure air. It compresses to absorb impact energy. This robust construction ensures that pneumatic fenders are effective in protecting vessels in a wide range of marine environments.
How Do Pneumatic Fenders Work?
Henger Shipping Supply’s pneumatic fender products provide optimal protection for ships during docking and mooring. These fenders utilize compressed air to absorb kinetic energy and greatly reduce impact. When a vessel comes into contact with a pneumatic fender, the air inside is compressed, cushioning the impact and minimizing the transfer of force to the vessel and dock. This mechanism prevents damage and ensures safer docking operations.
The energy absorption and dissipation process is as follows:
Energy Absorption: As the vessel approaches, the pneumatic fender compresses on impact and absorbs the kinetic energy generated by the vessel’s motion.
Energy Dissipation: The compressed air inside the fender dissipates the absorbed energy, minimizing the impact on the vessel and dock, thereby reducing potential damage and improving safety and efficiency.
Pneumatic Fender deployment includes
Inflation: Using a standard air compressor, the fender is inflated to the required internal pressure, which can be adjusted to meet specific docking requirements.
Deflate: For storage and transportation, the fender can be easily deflated, making it portable for a variety of marine applications.
Installation: Once inflated, the fenders are secured to the vessel or dock using chains, ropes, or other fastening methods to ensure they remain in place and provide continuous protection during operation.
Henger Shipping Supply’s Pneumatic Fenders are a practical marine protection solution. They use compressed air to shield ships and docks from impact during marine activities. This ensures reliability and durability in demanding marine environments.
Features and Benefits
Durability And Long Life:Pneumatic fenders are constructed with high-strength rubber and reinforced tire cord fabric layers for superior durability and resistance to abrasion. This rugged construction ensures that the fenders can withstand harsh marine environmental conditions and maintain their integrity over long periods of use. The ISO 17357-1:2014 standard requires fenders to meet strict quality and reliability rules. This makes them a trusted choice for marine use.
Energy Absorption and Reaction Force: One of the key benefits of pneumatic fenders is their high energy absorption capacity. These fenders effectively manage the kinetic energy generated by a vessel’s impact, thereby greatly reducing the forces transferred to the vessel and docking structure. This high energy absorption capacity is complemented by low reaction forces. They reduce stress on vessels and docks, preventing damage and extending the life of both structures. This balance between energy absorption and low reaction forces is essential to ensure safe and efficient docking operations.
Easy to deploy and maintain: Pneumatic fenders are designed for rapid deployment. They can be quickly inflated and deflated using a standard air compressor for easy storage and transportation. This makes them very useful for many offshore tasks, like temporary moorings and emergency docking. In addition, pneumatic fenders require minimal maintenance, which increases their cost-effectiveness. Regular inspections and basic maintenance are usually sufficient to ensure that they remain in optimum working order, thus reducing overall operating costs.
Applications
Henger Shipping Supply’s pneumatic fenders are versatile and critical to a variety of marine operations.
Ship-to-Ship Transfers: Our pneumatic fenders play a vital role in protecting vessels during ship-to-ship transfers of cargo and liquids. These operations often involve significant movement of the vessel, and our fenders feature high energy absorption and low reaction forces to prevent damage from such impacts, ensuring a safe and efficient transfer.
Ship-to-Terminal Operations: Our fenders are widely used in commercial ports and terminals to provide the necessary protection for ships’ docking. They can be adapted to different tidal conditions, ensuring consistent performance and protection for vessels and docking structures in different environmental conditions. This adaptability makes them ideal for both temporary and permanent docking.
Offshore Platforms and Naval Operations: For offshore platforms and naval vessels/submarines, our Submarine Fender provides robust impact protection. These are specialized, purpose-built pneumatic fender types designed for specific applications, capable of withstanding the harshest marine environments and absorbing high-impact energy to protect ships and platforms.
Summary
Henger Shipping Supply specializes in high-quality inflatable fenders that are critical to offshore operations. Our fenders are made from high-strength rubber and reinforced tire cord layers to ensure durability and comply with ISO 17357-1:2014 standards. These fenders effectively absorb kinetic energy during impact, minimizing the forces transferred to the vessel and docking structure, thereby preventing damage and increasing operational safety.
Our pneumatic fenders are versatile and can be used in a variety of applications. For ship-to-ship transfers, they provide critical protection during the transfer of cargo and liquids by absorbing high energy and reducing reaction forces. In commercial harbors and terminals, they provide consistent performance and adaptability to varying tidal conditions.
We offer many standard sizes, from 0.5 to 4.5 meters wide and 1 to 12 meters long. We also offer custom options to meet specific needs. When properly maintained, our fenders typically last 8 to 10 years and operate reliably in extreme weather conditions.
FAQ
Our pneumatic fenders are available in standard sizes from 0.5 m to 4.5 m in diameter and 1 m to 12 m in length, as well as customized options to meet specific needs.
With proper maintenance, our pneumatic fenders typically last 8 to 10 years. Regular inspections and maintenance will ensure optimal performance and longevity.
Yes, our air-filled fenders do well in tough marine environments and bad weather. They provide reliable protection!