Maintenance and repair for ship launching airbags

TIPS: Good protection and maintenance is more important than buying heavier air bags for projects.

Airbag Maintenance

In use, ship launching airbags should avoid contact sharp objects, such as welding leftover, steel nails, sharp stones that can puncture or wound air bags. Most damage of airbags are caused by neglected sharp objects.

End fitting of Eversafe airbags are enhanced for hoisting. To transport air bags on work site, suggest to use mobile crane or forklifts with pallets.

After use, airbags should be cleaned and dried. Keep air bags away from direct sunshine and chemical solvents such as gasoline, toluene for store.

Improper use of airbags may cause badly damage to airbags.

Air bag repair 

When Airbags are pierced or lacerated people should repair them properly before use again. In most conditions good repair can rejuvenate lacerated airbags to be as good as new one. But if airbags get the cut more than 20 centimeters long or holes bigger than 5 cm diameters, they should be used with lower pressure than rated working pressure.

For example, if one Eversafe airbag with 1.5 m diameters and six reinforcement layers gets severe damage. After repair its working pressure should drop to 0.10 MPa from initial 0.13 MPa.

Different types of airbag.damages

To repair airbags, people need to identify and mend wounds first , then apply pressure and heat to the patch for vulcanizing. The patch used for mending consists of a few rubber and cords sheets. 

Glue for patching: Cut raw rubber to be small pieces and mix with gasoline in a jar. The weight ratio of gasoline to rubber is suggested to be 5. When rubber swells, stir the mixture can accelerate the dissolution. Once all rubber dissolved the mixture becomes to be sticking glue.

Instruments for air bag repair

The repair work depends on experience heavily. There should be well trained people to this job.