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What Types of Fenders Are There?
A fender, sometimes called a ship's rubbing strake, is a resilient cushioning device fitted to the edge of a wharf or a ship. Fenders can be made of timber or rubber. Their main purpose is to soften the impact between a ship and a wharf, or between two ships, during berthing and mooring, reducing or eliminating damage to both the vessel and the wharf.
1. Cylindrical rubber fenders
- Low reaction force, low face pressure and reasonable energy absorption.
- Adapt well to the ship's roll and pitch during berthing.
- Suitable for a wide range of vessel sizes and applications.
- Easy to install and maintain; particularly suitable for older wharves.
2. Semicircular (D-type) rubber fenders
- Moderate reaction force, with higher energy absorption than cylindrical fenders.
- Relatively easy to install.
- Because of their narrow base, they are especially suitable for open-frame (piled) wharves and for mounting on a ship's side.
3. DO-type rubber fenders
- Higher reaction force and energy absorption than D-type fenders.
- Considerably greater mounting strength and service life than D-type fenders.
- Suitable for open-frame wharves.
Arch (V-type) rubber fenders
- Moderate reaction force and high energy absorption.
- Secure and convenient installation.
- Suitable for all kinds of wharves.
4. DA-type rubber fenders
- High energy absorption combined with low reaction force.
- Better stress distribution in the rubber body, giving a long service life.
- A fender panel can be fitted on the front face to reduce face pressure.
- Available in a full range of sizes with a variety of mounting options; easy to replace.
5. Drum-type rubber fenders
- Low reaction force and high energy absorption.
- Face pressure below 25 t/m².
- Only a small loss of performance under angular compression.
Π-type rubber fenders
- Low reaction force and high energy absorption.
- Easy to install.
- Generally suitable for medium and large wharves.