A New Generation of High-Performance and Eco-Friendly Textile Expansion Joints.

In 2006, BBV Tech S.r.l. (Alflex), a manufacturing company that is part of the BBV Inoflex Group, was called upon to manage and develop the Production Department for Layered Textile and Rubber Products and launched a specific research and development project to create a new generation of high-performance textile expansion joints. At the same time, studies have been carried out on several levels: analysis and design criteria, materials, and production processes.

The Innovation Program followed the development of naval shipbuilding projects by the Italian Navy that include the FREMM frigates, the new PPPs – Multipurpose deep-sea patrol boats and the LHD – Landing Helicopter Dock, under construction. The objective of the study was a set of textile expansion joints to be used in the output lines from gas turbine modules (by General Electric and Rolls Royce), to be placed in internal seals like engine shaft protection, and to connect the piping of gas exhaust, primary air and ventilation.

In launching the Project, a strategic decision was made to question every technological and knowledge element already acquired through known technologies. At the same time, also favored by a similar intent of the clients, each new course of study was undertaken with the imperative of not setting limits on dual-use technology research, especially in order to seek new technological solutions useful to reconcile:

  • the need to create systems capable of delivering ever-higher performance and
  • the determination to contribute to a decisive reduction of pollutants (both acoustic and from the release of harmful chemical compounds into the environment).

It was crucial to start with a thorough analysis of data concerning the design, construction and operational life of expansion joints coming off production lines and, over a forty year period, installed in thousands of industrial plants located all over the world. These were, in numerous cases, subjected to extremely complex working conditions due to both the environmental situation (sometimes extreme) and on the operating characteristics of the plants.

During the development of the project, performance targets were continuously raised according to ever-increasing levels of required operational capacity by the new ships.

The absolute rate of innovation acquired has made it possible to achieve 100% of the desired performances in the project, guaranteeing ship operational and stealth capabilities unthinkable with “mature” technologies.

With 20 ships fully in service, the first for over 10 years, and without any operating incident having occurred, it has been confirmed that the new generation of textile expansion joints have a 100% degree of reliability compared to the originally-requested warranty terms.

The project is undergoing further development and promises to provide further important application innovations.

As it often happens, military research opens up wide spaces of “portability” in merchant shipbuilding as well as in the civil and commercial industries.
In fact, the technological innovations acquired fully (and naturally) respond to current global policies that strongly push us toward developing the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in order to significantly reduce pollution caused by combustion of raw fuels that are much less refined and more polluting.

Indeed, LNG is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel in the world. For the shipbuilding industry, the use of LNG represents the adoption of the most innovative propulsion technology.

Technological change, strongly oriented towards the protection of the environment, among other things, will make it possible to travel by ship without being accompanied by the unpleasant smell of exhaust gases.

In addition, textile expansion joints, as an alternative to metal ones, guarantee a better level of silence and, depending on the application, can lighten lines where they are installed. This last factor is of great importance, given that the size of new ships is constantly increasing.

DOWNLOAD NEWS – Industrial Plants – May 2019