Page 51: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 2016)

PPG gets EU Funding for project aiming to produce a new fouling protection system for commercial vessels.

Industry Group Developing New Hull Coating System

A project development group including PPG,

MACtac, Meyer Werft/ND Coatings, VertiDrive and Hamburg Ship Model Basin HSVA are work- ing to establish an automatic application process for allowing a self-adhesive/fouling release ? lm to be used on commercial seagoing vessels. The process would allow shipowners and operators to enjoy fouling release properties and drag reduc- tion capabilities of the PPG SIGMAGLIDE self- adhesive ? lm.

“The eSHaRk (eco-friendly Ship Hull ? lm sys- tem with fouling Release and fuel saving proper- ties) project aims to bring to the market a fouling protection technology which not only maintains (Image: PPG) the current state-of-the-art fouling protection

Composition of the PPG SIGMAGLIDE self-ad- standards but is superior to existing paint-based hesive fouling release ? lm solution solutions in terms of eco friendliness, easiness of application, robustness and drag reduction ef- state-of-the-art ? ow channel at HSVA, several fects, all of which will lead to fuel savings and small scale in practice applications have been the reduction of GHG emissions,” said Chris- conducted and PPG is now looking for full scale tophe Cheikh, PPG Product Manage.

testing and validation in operational conditions

The system incorporates a fouling release sys- before market entry with the support of ND Coat- tem, based on PPG’s 100 percent silicone binder ings/Meyer Werft.

technology, and a self-adhesive ? lm specially de-

Advantages at the newbuild stage can be signed by MACtac for underwater use.

grouped under two categories: productivity im-

As part of the eSHaRk project, new, robotized provement with an easier and faster application application technology is being developed by of the fouling release system without the tradi-

VertiDrive which will be used to apply the ? lm tional constraint of overcoating intervals; and on large commercial vessels in an automated minimum impact on environment, health and way. Furthermore, the surface morphology of the safety requirements, waste reduction, no VOC ? lm will be optimized to enhance drag reduction, emission, minimizing the need for safety equip- fuel savings and emissions reduction bene? ts to a ment at time of application.

level previously unattainable.

The PPG SIGMAGLIDE fouling release ? lm

After laboratory testing, including ? ow chan- solution under development within the eSHaRk nel drag reduction experiments conducted in a project has a targeted launch date of 2018.

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