Heavy Duty Inflatable Air Bags manufactured from reinforced PVC materials are specialized buoyancy devices designed primarily for underwater salvage, lifting, and flotation operations. Constructed using high-strength PVC-coated fabric with multi-layer reinforcement, these air bags combine excellent tensile strength, airtight performance, and resistance to marine environmental factors, making them particularly suitable for demanding underwater applications.
The PVC material offers a favorable balance between durability and flexibility. It provides superior resistance to saltwater corrosion, UV exposure, oil contamination, and microbial degradation, which are common challenges in marine salvage environments. At the same time, the fabric-reinforced structure ensures stable load-bearing performance under repeated inflation cycles and varying underwater pressure conditions.
These inflatable air bags function by providing controllable buoyancy to submerged objects. By adjusting internal air pressure, operators can precisely regulate lifting force, enabling gradual recovery of sunken vessels, offshore equipment, pipelines, or underwater structures. Compared with rigid lifting equipment, PVC inflatable air bags are lightweight, easy to transport, quick to deploy, and highly adaptable to irregular shapes.
Their cost efficiency, reusability, and operational flexibility make them a preferred solution for professional diving teams, marine salvage contractors, port authorities, and offshore engineering companies. With proper maintenance, the air bags can deliver long service life and consistent performance across multiple underwater recovery projects.
A coastal salvage contractor was tasked with recovering a 480-ton tugboat that had sunk near a harbor entrance following a collision. Limited visibility, soft seabed conditions, and restricted crane access complicated the operation, requiring a lifting method that could provide stable and adjustable buoyancy without causing further structural damage to the vessel.
PVC Heavy Duty Inflatable Air Bags were selected due to their flexibility, corrosion resistance, and ease of underwater deployment. Divers positioned several air bags along key lifting points on the hull, ensuring balanced buoyancy distribution. Controlled inflation allowed the vessel to be gradually lifted from the seabed, reducing sediment suction effects and preventing sudden stress loads.
The tugboat was successfully refloated and towed for repair with no secondary damage reported. The contractor noted that the air bags significantly reduced project costs, shortened preparation time, and proved reliable for repeated salvage operations in similar harbor environments.
| Product Name | Heavy Duty Inflatable Air Bags |
| Raw Material | PVC Coating Fabric |
| Type | Cylindrical |
| Size | 500kg, 1000kg, 5000kg, 10000kg, etc |
| Thickness | 0.4-1.2mm, or as request |
| Color | Yellow, Blue, Black, etc |
| Density | 0.33-0.9g/cm³ |
| Safety Factor | 7:1 |
| Tolerances | ±0.03 on Densities, ±0.2mm on Thickness, ±0 to +3mm on Width, ±0 to +3mm on Length |
| Model | Buoyancy (kg) | Buoyancy (lbs) | Diameter (mm) | Length (mm) | Approx. Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HM-C01 | 200 | 441 | 500 | 1,000 | 5 |
| HM-C02 | 500 | 1,103 | 800 | 1,000 | 8 |
| HM-C03 | 1,000 | 2,205 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 11 |
| HM-C04 | 2,000 | 4,410 | 1,300 | 1,500 | 20 |
| HM-C05 | 4,000 | 8,820 | 1,600 | 2,000 | 50 |
| HM-C06 | 6,000 | 13,230 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 66 |
| HM-C07 | 8,000 | 17,640 | 2,000 | 2,600 | 75 |
| HM-C08 | 10,000 | 22,050 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 80 |
| HM-C09 | 15,000 | 33,075 | 2,600 | 3,000 | 110 |
| HM-C10 | 20,000 | 44,100 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 130 |
| HM-C11 | 30,000 | 66,150 | 3,000 | 4,500 | 170 |
| HM-C12 | 50,000 | 110,250 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 220 |
| HM-C13 | 70,000 | 154,350 | 4,000 | 5,700 | 310 |
| HM-C14 | 100,000 | 220,500 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 450 |
| HM-C15 | 150,000 | 330,750 | 5,000 | 8,000 | 660 |
| HM-C16 | 200,000 | 441,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 900 |
Note: Other sizes can be customized according to the requirements.