Introduction To Rubber Fenders

Rubber fenders, also known as rubber fenders, are installed on docks or ships to absorb collision energy between ships during docking or mooring, protecting ships and docks from damage.
Usually, rubber fenders can be divided into two categories based on their structure: solid rubber fenders (non floating) and floating rubber fenders.
Solid rubber fender (non floating type) is an early and widely used anti-collision equipment for dock ships. According to the stress situation of rubber fenders, they can be divided into shear type, rotational type, and compression type, etc; According to the structure of fenders, solid rubber fenders can be divided into D-shaped, conical, drum shaped, fan-shaped, rectangular, cylindrical fenders, and so on.
Floating rubber fenders can freely float on the water surface and can be divided into inflatable rubber fenders and filled rubber fenders based on the different internal buffering media.
Inflatable rubber fenders use compressed air as the medium to consume collision energy by doing work with compressed air.
The foam filled fender is also called solid polyurethane fender. The buffer medium inside is mainly closed cell foamed materials, such as foamed EVA, foamed polyurethane and foamed rubber
Features and Applications
Solid rubber fenders have high energy absorption and reaction forces, as well as advantages such as low cost, long service life, and simple installation and maintenance. They are commonly installed as protective devices in docks and shipyards.
Floating rubber fenders are a relatively new type of fender equipment. Compared to solid rubber fenders, their main characteristics are: large compression deformation, large energy absorption, small reaction force, self floating, and easy installation. Usually used in situations such as ship to ship, ship to wharf cargo transfer, and docking; Due to its self floating characteristics, it is particularly suitable for installation at docks with significant changes in tide levels. Among them, filled rubber fenders are particularly suitable for applications in harsh environments, such as offshore drilling platforms, due to their advantages of maintenance free and long service life.