Pneumatic fenders are essential for preventing damage between ships, or between ships and wharves. Yokohama has been a leader in the field for so long that the term "Yokohama Fender" has become synonymous with pneumatic fenders in general. The company currently dominates the field with a full 80% of all the pneumatic fenders being manufactured today.
Though pneumatic fenders are sturdy and adaptable to many situations and circumstances, they are not indestructible and do require periodic maintenance. In the past, this typically involved lifting them completely out of the water for inspection and a check of their inflation pressure. Obviously, this cuts into the efficiency of an entire wharf or dock operation when pneumatic fenders are taken out of commission completely for maintenance.
Yokohama recently announced a system that can monitor air pressure by remote sensing (a system adapted from their Air Watch setup for automotive tires). Dubbed the Fender Watch system, it entails a sensor on a metal fitting, set inside a Yokohama fender. Via a wireless signal, the sensor sends inflation data to the handheld terminals of maintenance personnel. With this system, maintenance can get accurate readings on the fender's inflation at distances up to 30 meters. This remote pressure sensing can also help monitor and regulate the distance between two vessels during ship-to-ship transfers of crude oil or liquefied petroleum gas.
Since pneumatic fenders are typically used in batteries of four or more, Yokohama's Fender Watch system can take readings from up to four fenders simultaneously. The sensors are also equipped to send alarm signals should the inflation pressure move significantly above or below the desired settings set by the users.
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