PVC Coated Fabric for Life Rafts

Introduction

Life rafts have significant uses in fields such as water sports and maritime rescue. As a water safety device and life-saving equipment in critical moments, its material must integrate water resistance, air tightness and durability. Among the numerous material options, PVC-coated fabric happens to be one with the aforementioned advantages and is one of the preferred materials for modern life raft manufacturing.

Why choose PVC coated fabric

PVC coated fabric is a material that combines the flexibility of fabric with the protective property of plastic, and is particularly suitable for the manufacturing of life rafts that require a balance of lightweight, durability and air tightness.

The advantages of PVC coated fabric in life rafts

UV resistance: By adding UV stabilizers, the PVC coating can effectively resist direct sunlight and prevent embrittlement or fading caused by long-term exposure.

Wide temperature adaptability: It can maintain physical stability within the range of -40℃ to +100℃, meeting the usage requirements from polar regions to tropical seas.

Salt spray corrosion resistance: The specially formulated PVC coating has extremely strong resistance to seawater salt spray and is suitable for maritime rescue work.

Weldable heat sealing: Through high-frequency heat sealing technology, PVC coated fabrics can achieve complete sealing at the seams, significantly outperforming the waterproof performance of traditional sewing techniques.

High hydrostatic pressure resistance: After testing, a 0.8mm thick PVC-coated fabric can withstand a water pressure of over 10kPa, which is equivalent to coping with a wave height of 4 meters.

Long-term airtightness maintenance: The pressure loss rate within 72 hours after inflation is less than 5%, far exceeding the pressure retention requirements for life rafts stipulated in the SOLAS Convention.

Lightweight: Compared with rubber materials, the weight of PVC-coated fabric is reduced by approximately 30%, and the folded volume is reduced by 40%, which makes the storage of life rafts simple.

Processing convenience: By using hot air welding or high-frequency heat sealing technology, the processing efficiency is more than three times higher than that of traditional sewing technology.

Low maintenance cost: Surface stains can be removed by simple wiping. When repairing, only special PVC tape is needed for emergency treatment.

Conclusion

Life rafts made of good materials are durable and guarantee a good reputation. After a thorough understanding of the technical characteristics of PVC-coated fabric, what reason is there not to choose it?