Dry Dock Marine Airbag

Qingdao SunKai Marine Supplies Co., Ltd. supplies Dry Dock Marine Airbag, a high-pressure large-diameter airbag specifically designed for dry dock vessel transfer, temporary sealing and efficient docking/undocking operations as a cost-effective alternative to traditional dock gates. Built to ISO 14409:2011 and CB/T 3795 standards with heavy-duty multi-layer cord reinforcement, these airbags feature special end designs for easy series connection and quick coupling. Welcome major shipyards and dock management authorities to contact us for purchase.

What Is Dry Dock Marine Airbag?

Dry Dock Marine Airbag is a cylindrical flexible load-bearing device made of high-strength rubber and synthetic tire cord, using compressed air as the working medium. When inflated, it forms a rigid cylinder that creates low-friction rolling support between the vessel hull and ground, enabling vessel launching, haul-out, relocation, docking and berthing operations.

Compared with traditional vessel launching methods such as gravity slipways, floating dry docks and crane lifting, this product requires minimal infrastructure, offers operational flexibility, ensures safety and controllability, and is reusable. It has become the preferred equipment for small and medium-sized shipyards and vessel repair enterprises worldwide.

Key Advantages

  High-Pressure Large-Diameter: Diameter range 1.5m-3.0m, rated working pressure 0.15MPa-0.25MPa, load capacity per unit length far exceeding standard airbags, meeting large vessel requirements.

  Series Connection Capable: Special end metal fitting design supports axial series connection of multiple airbags, extending effective support length to over 50m.

  Quick Coupling System: Equipped with dedicated quick connectors and parallel inflation manifolds, multiple airbags inflate simultaneously with uniform pressure, improving operational efficiency by 60%.

  Alternative to Traditional Dock Gates: Can serve as temporary water-blocking structures, combined with sealing curtains to enable dry dock operations, significantly reducing permanent dock gate construction and maintenance costs.

  Heavy Component Transport: Widely used in caisson moving, large concrete component land transport, steel structure module roll-on loading and other heavy engineering logistics scenarios.

  Multi Classification Society Certifications: CCS, BV, ABS, LR, DNV and other major international classification society certification services available, meeting requirements of domestic and foreign shipyards and marine engineering projects.

Specifications

Main specifications of this product series. Other sizes can be customized upon request.

Applications

  Vessel Launching: New vessels launched from slipways, proven for vessels up to 75,000 DWT.

  Vessel Haul-out & Repair: Ships pulled ashore for maintenance without expensive dry dock infrastructure.

  Dry Dock Operations: Assisting vessel entry and exit from dry docks, reducing reliance on traditional dock gates.

  Marine Salvage & Rescue: Buoyancy aid for stranded or sunken vessel recovery and emergency lifting.

  Heavy Structure Moving: Land transport of caissons, large concrete structures and heavy industrial components.

  Temporary Berthing: Temporary berthing and mooring support in waters without fixed dock facilities.

Technical Parameters

Structural Parameters:

· Diameter range: 0.6m - 4.0m (standard 0.8m-2.5m)

· Effective length: 3m - 35m (standard 6m-22m)

· Total length: effective length + tapered ends (approx. 0.5-1.0m per end)

· Cord layers: 3 - 20 layers (standard 4-10 layers)

· Outer rubber thickness: 2.0mm - 3.0mm

· Inner rubber thickness: 1.5mm - 2.0mm

Performance Parameters:

· Rated working pressure: 0.05MPa - 0.25MPa (by model and layers)

· Minimum burst pressure: >= 3 times rated working pressure

· Safety factor: >= 3.0 (premium models >= 4.5)

· Airtightness: 1-hour pressure drop <= 5% at rated pressure

· Rolling friction coefficient: <= 0.05

· Operating temperature range: -25C to +60C

· Service life: 5-8 years or 200-300 use cycles

Material Parameters:

· Outer rubber tensile strength: >= 18MPa

· Outer rubber elongation at break: >= 400%

· Outer rubber hardness (Shore A): 60 +/- 5 degrees

· Inner rubber air permeability: <= 2.0 x 10^-15 cm2/s.Pa

· Cord breaking strength: >= 205N/strand

· Cord-to-rubber adhesion strength: >= 8kN/m

Certifications & Standards

Qingdao SunKai Marine Supplies Co., Ltd. marine airbag products are strictly designed, manufactured and inspected in accordance with the following international and domestic standards:

  ISO 14409:2011

Ships and marine technology - Ship launching airbags international standard, specifying terminology, classification, material dimensions, test methods, marking, packaging, transport and storage requirements.

  ISO 17682:2013

Ships and marine technology - Method for ship launching utilizing airbags international standard, specifying methods, calculations and safety requirements for airbag launching operations.

  CB/T 3795

China shipbuilding industry standard - Airbags for ship haul-out and launching, specifying product classification, technical requirements, test methods and inspection rules.

  GB/T 33487-2017

China national standard - Ships and marine technology - Ship launching airbags, equivalently adopting ISO 14409 international standard.

  ISO 9001:2015

Quality management system certification, ensuring full-process quality control from raw material procurement to finished product delivery.

  Classification Society Certification

Products available with CCS (China), BV (France), ABS (USA), LR (UK), DNV (Norway) and other major classification society certification services.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What distinguishes dry dock airbags from standard ones?

A1: Dry dock airbags typically require larger diameter (1.5-3.0m) and higher working pressure for large vessel docking. Some feature special end designs for easy series connection and quick coupling.

Q2: Can airbags replace dry dock gates?

A2: In temporary or emergency scenarios, large inflatable airbags can serve as temporary water-blocking structures, but cannot completely replace permanent dock gates. Primary role is assisting vessel entry/exit from dry docks.

Q3: How many airbags are needed for dry dock operations?

A3: Typically large vessel docking requires 10-30 airbags evenly distributed along ship length, with 2-3 standby units. Specific quantity must be determined by professional engineers based on operational plan.

Q4: What certifications and warranty are provided?

A4: Manufactured per ISO 14409:2011, ISO 9001 certified. Classification society certificates available (CCS, BV, ABS, LR, DNV). Warranty: 24 months with free repair/replacement for manufacturing quality issues, plus lifetime technical support.