Latest technologies available within Aids to Navigation (AtoN) – An update By ANTHONY PARKER 07 December, 2017
Who am I? Anthony Parker African Consultant for Sealite Located out of London, UK Involved in AtoN projects in African waters since 2010 Wrote white paper for IALA on the threat of theft & vandalism of AtoN operations in African waters – 2013. Organised the largest gathering of AtoN professionals in Africa for a technical seminar (Cape Town, November 2017) since the IALA Conference in Cape Town, 2010. Assisted local port authorities with the reduction of theft & vandalism of AtoN operations in Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique.
Sealite – An Introduction • Established in 1982 • Strategic focus on in-sourced design & production • 50,000sq ft manufacturing plant in Australia meaning that we have complete control over our quality and costs • Manufacturing facilities & offices in UK and USA • Industrial members of IALA • The largest portfolio of Aids to Navigation Solutions available
Earliest Aids to Navigation
An example LEFT Photograph of a gas powered lantern as used by a port authority in East Africa used up until recently
The evolution of a 10Nm lantern using LED INCANDESCENT LED - 10Nm Range - 10Nm Range - Required 40W of solar - Requires 10W of solar - Required 200Ah of battery - Requires 50Ah of battery LED’s lifespan of - Lamp flashers require - 100,000hrs (>25 years) – changing every few months MINIMAL MAINTENANCE!
Advantages of LED ENERGY EFFICIENT Incandescent bulbs can lose up to 98% of its energy through heat in comparison to LED’s which can lose up to 20% LONG LIFE LED’s can have a service life of >100,000 hours compared with incandescent bulbs which average 1,000 – 2,000 hours. That equates to 11 years (or 22 years at 50%) COMPACT SIZE This provides greater design flexibility of which Sealite utilises in the design of its marine lanterns DURABILITY Shockproof, vibration proof and resistant to heat and cold COST SAVINGS Lower maintenance costs coupled with reduced energy consumption make LED’s a cost effective solution for marine lighting
Advantages of LED < Buoy on LEFT - Non-LED Lantern - Requires separate solar panels and batteries to power it. - Requires more maintenance. - Moving parts and external wires - Attractive to thieves! Buoy on RIGHT - Self-Contained LED lantern - Integral solar and battery bank - Minimal maintenance - No moving parts or external wires - Less attractive to thieves.
Advantages of LED INCANDESCENT - 1,600Ah of Battery - 1,600W of Solar LED Solution Pelican Point Lighthouse, NAMIBIA - 660Ah of Battery Required Range: 20Nm - 560W of Solar
The evolution of buoys - Steel
Available buoy Materials
Manufacturing Process Rotational Moulding (Roto-moulding) Sealite has over 20 years experience in building products for long term deployment in some of the harshest conditions know. The products are built to withstand extreme elements of icing, cyclonic winds, salt-spray, prolonged UV exposure and tropical humidity. Sealite is one of the only full-line navigation aid producers to manufacture marine buoys on-site with state-of-the-art Rotational moulding equipment, using UV-stabilized polyethylene. In-house manufacturing allows Sealite to ensure their marine buoys are robust and able to withstand the severest of conditions.
Manufacturing Process Roto Moulding Closed Cell Polyurethane foam filling Ultrasonic thickness testing
Manufacturing Process – Buoy Colour VIRGIN POLYETHYLENE A critical element of any Polyethylene buoy is the raw material used in its manufacture. All of Sealite’s buoy shells and other components comprising the buoy markings are manufactured from UV-stabilised Virgin Polyethylene. The material used is selected for its excellent UV and colour characteristics and is sourced as a fully compounded material. This means the main colour of the buoy shall be homogenous through the buoy shell with a ‘high gloss’ finish and not be subjected to poor colour distribution throughout the buoy. SEALITE USES A UV-24 STABILISER WITHIN OUR BUOY MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Manufacturing Process – Buoy Colour IALA Colour Conformity Standard
Colour Degradation Moulders generally assess the long- term performance of their Polyethylene by referring to the raw material suppliers Technical Data Sheet (TDS). Most suppliers will include a statement on the materials UV characteristics in the TDS. Within the rotormoulding industry we typically use a UV rating system to measure performance. The most quoted UV rating offered around the world has been UV8. Be aware that some suppliers refuse to provide any UV rating information. Often their TDS’s will simply state that the PE contains UV stabilisers. Companies or organisations considering Polyethylene products without a UV rating must ask for the UV rating, and it is recommended that you obtain this in writing, as this minimises the risk of misunderstandings. A simple summary of the options typically offered to industry; UV0 (no UV protection) UV4 (short term UV protection) UV8 (long term UV protection) UV16 (‘longer’ term protection) UV24 (exceptional protection) – Sealite standard
Manufacturing Process – Buoy Filling FOAM FILLING Sealite uses closed-cell polyurethane foam filling exclusively in our buoys. This material is a two-part material selected for its excellent buoyancy and weight characteristics and has proven superior to alternative filling agents such as polystyrene balls which deteriorate over time. This is due to the in-process that ensures the foam expands leaving no voids or cavities for water to pool should the buoy float be breached. ABOVE: Closed-cell polyurethane foam ensures that there are no voids or cavities for water to enter should the buoy float be breached
Manufacturing Process – Buoy Filling
Buoy Materials – The benefits of polyethylene Plastic does not corrode Easier to maintain: only removal of marine growth, no painting on station Complete maintenance can be carried out at sea Plastic buoys typically weigh up half of what a steel buoy would weigh, therefore a smaller buoy-tender could be used Whole life costs typically less than a steel buoy The whole east coast of Africa have now been using polyethylene buoys for a number of years and South Africa have now initiated a project to move their 200 x steel buoys over to polyethylene to reduce overall maintenance costs Most plastic is recyclable Modular buoys means that it is able to change individual parts or segments if they are damaged or require refurbishment meaning that levels of spare parts can be reduced Easier to transit/move and store Possibility to encase a radar reflector within a plastic buoys superstructure
Meteorological Measurement
Remote Monitoring Over 100 AtoN within this scenario! What is the financial cost to maintain all of these AtoN? What is the time cost to maintain all of these AtoN? How do you manage the maintenance of such a large number of AtoN? What is the risk if any of these AtoN fail/are down?
Remote Monitoring – The Benefits Monitor your AtoN assets using GSM, Satellite and/or AIS Monitor lantern status using any cell-phone, email address or Sealite’s secure web portal Reports alarm conditions to designated cell- phone numbers (SMS text) and email addresses View daily/monthly/yearly lantern diagnostics or receive the information via email Enables proactive maintenance scheduling Lantern only responds to authorised users Low cost monitoring Worldwide functionality Monitor AND Control your lanterns
Synthetic Mooring Solutions Manufactured as a continuous length of nylon fibres to maintain the rated strength at the attachment shackles. An outer sheath of vulcanised highly abrasive resistant rubber encapsulates the fibres offering protection to the mooring line and fittings
Synthetic Mooring Solutions- The Benefits High Strength – 8 to 100 tonnes BS Absorbs shock loads in Wind & Tidal conditions Light weight and flexible minimises OH&S occurrences due to ease of handling compared to traditional chain Minimises damage to the Seabed’s vegetation (coral, seagrass) Embedded Thimbles (Heavy Duty Galvanized or Stainless Steel) encapsulated in a protective abrasive resistant rubber eliminate fraying of the nylon fibres RFID chip for tractability & ID Tag Up to 20% elasticity with Nylon UV Stabilised & Salt Water resistant
Synthetic Mooring Solutions- The Benefits NEW TRIAL Background: A steel buoy in Lagos Channel (NIGERIA) has its 38mm stud-link mooring chain replaced every 12 months through wear and tear. Synthetic mooring to replace this traditional steel chain to determine whether it can lengthen the current maintenance schedules relating to moorings in Lagos Channel consisting of 24 large buoys.
Our Commitment: Improving Aids to Navigation
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