#02/22
THE GLOBAL MAGAZINE FOR GF EMPLOYEES
Innovator‘s Insight

Marine fire protection

A team from GF Piping Systems has developed a heat-retardant protective jacket that protects plastic pipes in cruise ships, merchant fleets, or offshore vessels in the event of a fire at sea. Andreas Faude, Product Manager for Marine Products, describes the journey from idea to product.

Click the “+” icon in the infographic to learn more.

© GF PR

The challenge:

Different safety requirements apply to piping systems on ships depending on the application area. Our ecoFIT plastic pipes offer a durable alternative to metal pipes, but only for non-essential application areas such as air conditioning systems. To also be able to offer the pipes for essential applications on ships – areas that are essential in keeping the ship safe in emergencies – we decided to develop a fire-retardant protective jacket for plastic pipes.

The process:

It took six years to develop the system. We ran more than 100 trials in the last two years to achieve the desired properties for the jacket system. We had to optimally match the individual components, such as fiberglass fabric and TPU (a synthetic plastic), so that it would protect piping systems made of PE at temperatures of up to 1’000° Celsius for at least 30 minutes – ensuring an adequate amount of time to extinguish a fire.

The result:

Our HEAT-FIT Jacket System fulfills the strict regulations in effect for the international shipping industry. It is fire retardant, durable, and lightweight. Thanks to the jacket system, our customers can now use plastic pipes in essential areas of the ship. The system has been available to order since the end of April 2022.

graphic © GF PR
Andreas Faude
Position: Product Manager Marine
Division: GF Piping Systems
Standort: Schaffhausen (Switzerland)
Joined GF in: 2020

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