Fabric for new yacht partnership
An Italian partnership of textile companies and yacht building yards is developing new ranges of textiles for the large yacht construction and outfitting sector.
N
avaltex, is a new umbrella initiative being coordinated by Genoa-based classification
society RINa, which believes that, over the coming three years, textiles can be developed to provide a ready alternative to other materials, in a surprising range of marine applications. In one initiative, the grouping is
working towards the marinisation of well proven materials that change colour during the day in relation to varying levels of sunlight, and which minimise environmental impact but continue to exhibit good comfort characteristics. Smoke and fire tests are proceeding, but RINa said that it believed that applying the land-based materials to marine would not prove problematic. In another, more radical scheme, the
plan also foresees natural fibres yielding higher structural strength and fire resistance characteristics for non-load bearing cabin partitions than is the case for hard-to-work-with fibre glass/ composite materials. RINa spokesman, Mario Dogliani said: “We have completed a feasibility study which suggests that replacing fibre glass with natural fibres will be practical and that these materials will be easier to work with. I have to admit that when the possibility first
RINa chief executive Ugo Salerno.
arose, our naval guys were surprised, as they had never thought to use textiles in this application.” Mr Dogliani said that work was also
NavArch ad 12/8/08 11:36 Page 1
focusing on how to apply especially- woven “nano-technology” textiles for anti-ballistics capability. He suggested that easy-to-shape textiles could be applied to security officer apparel, but
also to provide bullet-proof cladding for yacht superstructures. All textile applications could be
developed within the scope of existing International Maritime Organization regulation, Mr Dogliani said. The initiative is being promoted by
the region of Piedmont and has been endorsed by
the Unione Industriale
di Biella (UIB), which includes groups such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Sinterama and Arazzo-Gruppo Parà Tempotest and also small specialised textile makers that traditionally have a strong industrial presence. The yachting partners, coordinated by RINa, include Azimut- Benetti and Fincantieri. Andrea Bairati, councillor for
research and innovation for the region of Piedmont, said: “Textiles and shipbuilding have never come together until now. Navaltex promotes this synergy by joining the two ends of the chain.” Ugo Salerno, RINa chief executive,
said: “It is…natural that, like important fashion designers, we also share our innovation strategies with textile producers focusing on the quality of the materials and on safety and protection of the environment, two elements which neither sector can forgo”. NA
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The Naval Architect April 2009
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