PPG and Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions have announced today they have signed an agreement to further commercialize their companies’ patented self-adhesive fouling release foil for ship hulls. The foil was developed as part of the eSHaRk project, a consortium of the world’s leading marine experts and engineers working together to create an innovative new fouling protection system.
The firms initiated the eSHaRk project to bring to market an advanced fouling protection technology. The aim was twofold: to maintain current state-of-the-art fouling protection standards while also offering a superior option to existing paint-based solutions – in terms of eco-friendliness, ease of application and drag reduction. Other benefits include lower speed loss, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, self-cleaning properties and extended durability, all of which contribute to increased operational profitability.
A low environmental impact allows the foil to be applied to vessels operating in the most ecologically delicate environments. Avery Dennison will market the foil solution to the leisure sector under the brand name Mactac MacGlide. PPG will market the product as PPG SIGMAGLIDE® Foil to the commercial marine sector, focusing primarily on smaller vessels that suit the foil’s manual application.
“We are delighted to sign this agreement with Avery Dennison to promote the foil as a coating solution for the leisure sector alongside its commercial vessel application,” said Jan Willem Tegelaar, PPG general manager, protective and marine coatings, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “The project partners have already demonstrated the benefits this revolutionary coating solution can offer, and this agreement will bring those benefits to new segments.” “By combining our expertise in foil technology with PPG’s excellence in marine coatings, we are providing our leisure sector customers with a completely new approach to hull protection,” said Fred Noël, vice president, Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions Europe. “This is a unique opportunity to combine improved fuel consumption with a cleaner hull and higher environmental protection.” PPG and Avery Dennison/Mactac are among the original partners in the partially EU-funded eSHaRk project, along with other expert companies in the marine sector.
