Recently Pinmar, AkzoNobel and Wrede announce details of their research project trialling and developing the application methodology for the new Awlfair SF spray filler product from AkzoNobel’s Awlgrip brand. The project is taking place in a shipyard in Bremerhaven, where International Maritime Research GmbH & Co. KG (IMR) is providing a 30m superyacht vessel for testing and research purposes. During a 12-week period the Pinmar technical development team will complete the fairing and painting of the starboard side of the hull to deliver a superyacht standard finish utilising the new sprayable filler application technology in parallel with a traditional fairing process to provide a like-for-like comparison.

Awlfair SF is an advanced new superyacht fairing product developed by AkzoNobel. The market leading superyacht coatings specialist partnered with Hogg and Graco to develop the sprayable application equipment and components. The product is applied by pressurised airless spray rather than by hand, which allows for wet-on-wet application and up to two coatings per day without the need for sanding between coats. The spray application also eliminates air pockets, resulting in reduced reworking and improved aesthetics.

Pinmar aims to optimise the application methodology for the filling and fairing of large superyachts using the Awlfair SF product and specialist equipment engineered by Hogg, in the expectation that this new system will provide a step change both in terms of the quality of the fairing and the time taken to complete the process. The Pinmar team will be working with technical experts from AkzoNobel and Hogg to trial various approaches aimed at maximising the speed and efficiency of the application process. Wrede Consulting, one of the world’s leading paint surveyors, are involved to offer expert advice and to undertake detailed measurements of the filler application and the finished paint system to provide an independent validation of the study’s results.

Commenting on the project James Millott, Pinmar’s Head of Operations, said “We’ve trialled the product in our test environment and now our master fairers and technical experts have the opportunity to evaluate its performance on an actual 30m hull.

Commenting on AkzoNobel’s involvement in the project, Bilal Salahuddin (Global Business Director Yacht Coatings) said “This 30m superyacht research vessel will provide AkzoNobel a unique opportunity to demonstrate the extraordinary benefits of our newly developed Awlfair SF (from our world leading brand Awlgrip). This side-by-side application comparison on a single vessel will highlight the differences between a traditional hand applied filler technique with one that utilizes a revolutionary approach.

Kay-Johannes Wrede, CEO of Wrede Consulting, Wrede Technologies and IMR, is well aware of the importance of innovations for the further development of the yacht industry: “With IMR we have created a platform that, with the AZ project, realises joint research and thus brings together expertise to drive forward important innovations in the superyacht sector. We are making our contribution by providing the hull as a floating laboratory, our surveyors from Wrede Consulting will advise on the processes and our experts from Wrede Technologies will carry out the laboratory and metrological investigations.”