ETV fleet to carry magnetic patches
Miko Marine’s magnetic patches
Miko Marine of Oslo has announced an order from the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) for the supply of magnetic patch kits, which will be carried on board all five of the NCA’s ETVs.
The ETVs (emergency towing vessels) are stationed around the coast of Norway. They will have Miko’s salvage and tanker magnetic patch kits available for making emergency repairs to vessels with damage or hull integrity problems as may have been caused by collision or grounding or by defective valves and seals. The contract includes an agreement for Miko Marine to provide emergency supervisory technical support in their use when and wherever required.
The patches are already carried aboard some NCA vessels which have used them to good effect in saving vessels in Norwegian waters. These have included fishing boats and, notably, a nuclear fuel carrier that was at risk of sinking off the coast of Norway in December 2010.
Commenting on the order, Nicolai Michelsen, general manager of Miko Marine said: “We are very pleased to be able to supply the NCA with a product that everyone sees as having such obvious benefits. This is not a speculative purchase by the NCA but is one based on their hard experience that has repeatedly shown Miko magnetic patches to be capable of saving ships, livelihoods and the environment. For the NCA it is a small investment when compared with the costs of the incidents that would have occurred if the patches had not been available and we are proud to be able to work closely with them whenever the need arises.”
Miko patches can be supplied individually to order or carried in packs that contain a variety of sizes. Salvage kits and tanker kits each contain a range of patches that can provide temporary watertight repairs to hull damage caused by collision, corrosion or some other technical defect. They can also be used to seal damaged tanks to prevent oil escaping. The largest Miko patch made to date measured 30m x 15m. Magnetic patches can be used to seal thruster tunnels and sea chests so that work can be conducted inside without the expense of drydocking.
Miko Marine claims that the simplicity of its patch concept belies the technology and years of research behind the product. Each patch must achieve a powerful bond despite what may be many layers of paint or corrosion covering the metal. This is achieved by mixing rare earth particles with an blend of Nitrile rubber. With a stretch strength of 9000N/5cm it means that a 5cm strip of the fabric can lift a weight equivalent to a car and is thus considered more than adequate for most repair applications.
When the rare earth particles are mechanically rolled together with the rubber they become distributed in parallel lines. Because of this, when they are magnetised they become very powerful and this necessitated further study to identify the most suitable rubber compound. A soft rubber is more flexible and achieves a better seal but it can also allow the powerful magnetic particles to realign themselves and lose the benefit of being arrayed in parallel lines. A finished patch will weigh 10kg/m² so an additional layer of material is laminated to the patch to provide buoyancy. With lifting lugs also fitted it can be manoeuvred into position under water by divers. Once in place the magnetic bond can be reinforced by additional magnets, creating a water tight seal that will enable the vessel to remain seaworthy during passage to dock for repair.
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