Rubber Airbag Wear Resistant Build Strong Elasticity Efficient Energy Absorption

Airbag launching is an adaptable, low-infrastructure method that enables vessels to be transferred from land to water using pneumatic marine airbags placed strategically beneath the hull. By replacing fixed launching rails with flexible rolling support, the technique allows shipyards to launch vessels even under space limitations or irregular foreshore conditions. Each airbag is engineered to maintain high internal pressure, resist multi-directional deformation, and distribute concentrated hull loads safely during movement. The launch process uses a combination of controlled rolling friction, gradual energy absorption, and synchronized pressure management to ensure a stable transition to buoyancy.

A coastal shipyard specializing in aluminum ferries required an efficient launch solution for a newly completed 4,200-ton high-speed passenger vessel. The site lacked a deep and reinforced slipway and faced tidal variations that made conventional methods impractical. Engineers determined that an airbag-based launch would offer the necessary flexibility while preventing localized hull stress that could compromise the lightweight aluminum structure. Fourteen airbags with a diameter of 1.5 m and a length of 20 m were deployed beneath the hull after precision jacking raised the vessel to the correct height. Ground preparation focused on creating a stable but minimally invasive working surface to avoid excessive leveling. Before the launch, differential pressure testing was used to confirm consistent internal pressure across all airbags, while thermal monitoring ensured that pressure fluctuations caused by temperature shifts were within allowable limits. During the launch, the ferry advanced steadily as airbags rotated in synchronized cycles. The lightweight hull responded sensitively to any imbalance, so technicians used real-time alignment indicators to adjust the rolling path. As the vessel neared the water's edge, airbags compressed predictably, absorbing the dynamic load without generating sudden acceleration. The ferry entered the water with minimal wake and no lateral drift. Inspection revealed zero deformation on the aluminum plating and no disturbance to the hull's protective coatings. The entire process took half the time of a conventional slipway launch and eliminated the need for substantial ground reinforcement. This case proved the effectiveness of airbag launching for lightweight, high-precision vessels where stress control is critical.