Being one of the leaders in the production of fenders with over 50 years of experience, SFT began a series of research and specialised publications (‘white papers’) that provide an unbiased view of “what exactly makes a good fender”.
The first topic selected by the research team is taking a closer look at the raw materials used in rubber production, the physical properties of a fender, and their correlation with the compound’s composition.
The international standards in the field – PIANC2002 and ASTM D2000 – do recommend guidelines about the physical properties of the fenders and their durability. However, there is no international standard how to reach the indicators.
Main finding from the study is that in fender manufacturing, physical properties are the only reliable indicator of the quality of a rubber compound that is defined by international standards. Additionally, the white paper recommends that ratios of fillers and reinforcement agents should be determined by specialists with profound material knowledge, as amount and particle size greatly influence the compound as well as its performance and durability. Its goal is to detail the considerations relevant to determining what makes a good fender.
The White Paper on rubber compounding can be downloaded for free from: https://www.shibata-fender.team/en/white-paper-part-I.html
