We, the founders of HATAG maritime, have been working for many years on a solution for the ecologically and economically effective coating of ship hulls and other maritime structures, especially in the underwater area. Our innovative new foil will make toxic paints with all their problems obsolete from now on and for the future.
But of course the idea of “film instead of paint” also works in other areas of application in global transport. We are very pleased, for example, that the airline “Swiss” is covering its entire fleet of Boeing 777-300s with the riblet film “AeroSHARK” developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF. This new surface coating, which is said to be based on a reproduction of shark skin, not only significantly reduces the frictional resistance of the aircraft. Just as with our own FRS system for shipping, the reduced frictional resistance in each case noticeably saves fuel, and thus emissions. In the case of Swiss’ aircraft, according to a BASF press release, this is as much as 1.1 per cent fuel: “Converted to the operational profile of the Boeing 777-300ER at SWISS, this means an annual saving of more than 4,800 tonnes of paraffin and around 15,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide, as much as is usually produced on around 87 long-haul flights from Zurich to Mumbai,” it says.
“AeroSHARK” is a surface technology developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik and BASF that consists of ribs about 50 micrometers in size – the so-called riblets. It specifically imitates the properties of the particularly streamlined shark skin and thus optimises the aerodynamics at relevant points of the aircraft. As a result, less fuel is needed overall. Lufthansa Technik and BASF intend to consistently develop the new technology further with a view to additional aircraft types and even larger surfaces, so that in the future they will be able to support airlines around the world in achieving their emission goals. In initial model calculations, the sharkskin technology in its maximum expansion stage could even avoid CO2 emissions on the scale of up to three percent.”
So much for the press release. Of course, it is just as crucial for the aviation industry as it is for the shipping industry to significantly reduce their respective ecological footprints in the coming years. The fact that this can also be achieved with economic benefits through solutions like these is all the more pleasing. Already today, some ships are sailing with the HATAG FRS system film. Fuel-saving and without toxic antifouling paint. You can find all information about our FRS system on these pages or by contacting us directly.
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