Floating Fender Sts Vessel Ship Yokohama Pneumatic Docking Marine Fender

Yokohama Pneumatic Fenders

The “Yokohama Pneumatic Rubber Fender” was developed in 1958 based on a rubber company’s technology for automobile tires and rubber aircraft fuel tanks. Progress in the development of such floating pneumatic rubber fenders is closely related to the progress and development of ship technology, and has to continuously cope with progressively larger oil tankers such as VLCC’s, ULCC’s, large gas carriers, bulk carriers and floating structures. Floating pneumatic fenders are used world wide for ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations, terminals, and for all kinds of ships. Since its creation until today, more than 45,000 fenders have been supplied worldwide both for ship-to-ship and ship-to-dock operations serving our valuable customers. These fenders play a critical role in the safe operation of ship berthing and mooring.

Advantages of JRB pneumatic fenders:

A versatile and well proven design. JRB pneumatic fenders are available as sling type or with chain &tyre nets to suit a variety of inshore and offshore applications.

Fender Type

 

Yokohama Pneumatic Rubber Fenders are constructed of several layers of strong tire-cord, and are thus resistant to pressure and cutting. The safety factor adopted in the design of this fender is based on accepted theory and has been proven by extensive experimentation. Operational experience over a long period of time attests to its high safety and reliability, and hydraulic pressure tests have proven the strength to be suitable. Furthermore, large-size fenders are equipped with a safety valve to release the inside air in the event of accidental over-pressure. The figure below shows data obtained from many destructive pressure tests at various percentage compressions. Such data are used to establish a basic minimum endurable pressure (MEP) curve for pneumatic rubber fenders.

 

Advantages at Inclined Berthing

 

Ships usually make initial contact with the dock or another ship on STS operations at an oblique angle. In the case of solid rubber fenders or foam fenders, rated reaction force and energy absorption decreases considerably at inclined compressions compared with parallel compression. In order to compensate for the decrease of energy absorption at inclined compression, it is necessary to use larger sizes in the case of solid rubber fenders or foam fenders.

 

 

Adaptable to the Tide

 

Yokohama Pneumatic Rubber Fenders basically float on the water in an unrestricted vertical plane corresponding to the tidal range and ship's vertical movement. This means that energy absorption always takes place at the most suitable position, and that only one fender is required per dolphin.

 

 

PNEUMATIC FENDER DIMENSIONS AND PERFORMANCE VALUES

Pneumatic 50 (Metric)

Pneumatic 80 (Metric)​

Applications

 

In order to minimize the shipping cost of Yokohama Pneumatic Rubber Fenders, the fenders are usually packed and shipped in containers or on pallets in vacuumed and folded down state.