FENDER SYSTEM

Vessels, cargo ships, cruise ships, ferries, personal yachts, etc. need protection

when they dock or when in collision with each other. Thus, a system was created to serve
as solution to this problem and this system was called fender system. Fenders are the
marine equipment’s specially designed for the purpose of imparting safety to the port and
vessels against collision with other vessels. These are special equipment designed to
provide the cushion effect to ship, boats or other naval vessels when they experience
collision against other vessels, wharves, piers and ports or berths. These are also referred
as marine bumpers.

Marine fenders are a type of marine equipment that are used to prevent boats,
ships and other naval vessels from colliding against each other or against docks, wharves
and piers. In other words, marine fenders can be simply termed as a marine bumper. In
order to serve its purpose, fenders should have high energy absorption and low reaction
force. Fenders are typically manufactured out of rubber, foam elastomer or plastic.
Rubber fenders are either extruded or made in a mold. The type of fender that is most
suitable for an application depends on many variables, including dimensions and
displacement of the vessel, maximum allowable stand-off, berthing structure, tidal
variations and other berth-specific conditions. The size of the fender unit is based on the
berthing energy of the vessel which is related to the square of the berthing velocity.

Yachts, small leisure craft and support vessels typically have mobile fenders
which are placed between the boat and the dock as the boat approaches the dock. Docks
and other marine structures, such as canal entrances and bases of bridges, have permanent
fenders placed to avoid damage from boats. Old tires are often used as fenders in such
places. The fendering systems act as elastic buffer devices that are used to slow ships
down and prevent damage to the ship or dock structure in the mooring process.

There are many types of fenders depending on how it is used. Some of these are,
pneumatic rubber fenders, super cell rubber fenders, cone rubber fenders, “wing” DO
rubber fenders, foamed filled fenders, arch type, unit element fender, cylindrical type CY,
square-shaped, and many more.