Fairing on an unprecedented scale
AkzoNobel and Pinmar on Project REV Ocean
As the scale and complexity of modern superyachts develop, so too must the coating systems that support them. Innovation sits at the heart of AkzoNobel’s operations alongside a collaborative spirit that allows us to partner with some of the leading organizations in the marine leisure industry.
One such partnership is AkzoNobel’s 30-year relationship with Pinmar, which has seen both organizations collaborate on multiple product innovations. In 2020, AkzoNobel and Pinmar ran a formal research trial comparing Awlfair SF against traditional hand application on the hull of a 30-meter superyacht. The project resulted in a higher-quality finish, fewer air pockets and a significant improvement in application efficiency; the REV Ocean project represents the next step in the coating’s evolution.
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The Project
At close to 200 meters, REV Ocean will become the largest research and expedition vessel in the world on delivery. Privately funded and built to operate in conditions as varied as the Arctic and the Indian Ocean, Rev Ocean has to withstand some of the most extreme environments on the planet, delivering a durable, premium finish across the entire hull.
The vessel’s scale places a significant demand on the fairing stage. The hull surface alone measures approximately 5,500 square meters, and the build includes a 12-metre amidships extension, as well as a redesigned aluminum superstructure. Achieving a consistent, high-quality finish across a surface of that size and complexity is one of the most demanding fairing challenges the yachting industry has undertaken.
The challenge
Traditional hand-applied filler simply cannot deliver at the pace a vessel of this scale requires. Applied by trowel, filling and fairing a 60-metre vessel can take up to six months. Scaled to 200 meters, this approach would not support the project’s timeline, and every additional week would carry significant cost implications. The requirement for REV Ocean was twofold: dramatically compress the fairing program, without compromising the finish quality or performance expected from Awlgrip.
The solution
Pinmar applied Awlfair SF, Awlgrip's solvent-free, sprayable profiling filler, using a Hogg Spray Filler Application (SFA) system utilizes the expertise of Graco and the equipment design experience of Hogg to deliver a step change in filler technology to the yachting industry.
Awlfair SF is delivered by pressurized airless spray at approximately five litres per minute, building up to 6mm per coat. By using this approach, two coats can be applied per day, wet-on-wet, with no sanding between them, dramatically improving application time. The spray filler application on REV Ocean took around 20 per cent of the time traditional hand-application methods would have taken, cutting the fairing programme from months to weeks.
In addition, spray application eliminates the air entrapment associated with trowelling, producing a more uniform and precise film build, while the SFA system records mix ratio, temperature, pressure and flow in real time for quality assurance.
Commenting on the project, Pinmar CEO, Remy Millott, said: “A vessel of this scale with a hull surface of over 5,500 square metres demands a completely different approach to fairing. Spray filler technology has changed what's possible for us, and we're applying it in around a fifth of the time traditional methods would take, without having to sand between coats. What makes REV Ocean truly unique is the partnership behind it. AkzoNobel, Hogg, our 3D scanning partner, and Pinmar working as one team. It's the kind of collaboration the yachting industry needs more of."
The outcome
For yards, applicators and naval architects facing increasingly large and complex builds, REV Ocean provides an example of how industry partnership and innovation are shifting the boundaries of what can be achieved through a combination of leading coating solutions and modern application techniques. The technology is already proven; what has changed is the speed at which it can be delivered.
AkzoNobel’s Key Account Manager, Yacht, Alessandro Gallifuoco, said: "Working on a hull this size changes how you think about fairing. With Awlfair SF, we're not fighting the clock on sanding and re-coating, the finish quality comes from the spray gun. It's given us the confidence to take on a project of REV Ocean's scale and know we can deliver the standard Awlgrip and Pinmar are known for, on time."
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