Innovation

As engineers and designers become increasingly aware of the scope for the technology, new applications for SPS Overlay are constantly being developed. These include:

• Blast belts – SPS is significantly more resistant to blast and projectile attack that stiffened steel. A waterline belt of SPS Overlay could be fitted during a typical drydocking with limited interior steelwork required. The resulting SPS ‘belt’ would provide significant protection against such attacks.
• Ice strengthening – First developed to improve the impact resistance of offshore structures in Canada’s Beaufort Sea, SPS has the capacity to absorb impact with minimal deformation whilst retaining strength and stiffness. Hulls reinforced with an external SPS Overlay have substantially less chance of penetration and crack propagation.
• Double hulling – SPS requires no stiffening and offers an economically viable option for double hull retrofits. It is stronger, lighter, flatter and, with no stiffeners, easier to coat, maintain and survey.
• Lightly loaded areas - SPS Overlay allows quick and easy reinforcement of lightly loaded deck areas with no disruption to cabins, navigation equipment or tank coatings
• Materials - SPS Overlay works with all common ship building materials and has been applied to steel and aluminium