The Basics of Sandwich Plate System Technology
Sandwich Plate System (SPS) technology is a composite material solution that incorporates two facing materials bonded to a core material. SPS offers superior strength and durability when compared to traditional repair methods, making it an increasingly popular choice in offshore applications.
Sandwich Plate System technology works by bonding the face plate with the elastomer core. This results in a composite structure that is both strong and lightweight, with excellent mechanical properties. SPS technology’s elastomer bonds the face plate to create a sandwich composite system, allowing the composite to withstand the harsh conditions of offshore environments.
Material Science Behind Sandwich Plate System Technology
Metals such as steel, aluminium, and even stainless steel can be used as the facing materials in Sandwich Plate System. These metals have high strength, durability, and corrosion resistance, making them ideal for offshore applications. In addition to metals, SPS technology also employs composite materials. Composite materials are well-known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, which is especially useful in offshore repair where weight reduction is critical.
The core material in Sandwich Plate System technology is an elastomer manufactured by BASF, engineered specifically for heavy industries. The elastomer possesses great mechanical properties like flexibility, resilience, and impact resistance. The core material acts as a bonding agent, securely holding the facing materials together and allowing the structure to function as a unified structure.
Adhesives used in Sandwich Plate System technology are approved by all major classification societies. These adhesives are carefully chosen for their compatibility with the facing and core materials, resulting in a dependable and long-lasting bond. The adhesives have high adhesion strength, ensuring that the SPS composite structure stays intact even in harsh offshore conditions before elastomer injection takes place.
Structural Mechanics of Sandwich Plate System Technology
Sandwich Plate System technology is well-known for improving structural performance and damage tolerance in offshore repair. The high stiffness-to-weight ratio it provides is one of the key factors contributing to its success. The use of lightweight materials, such as composite facings and elastomer cores, ensures that SPS repairs effectively reduce structure weight while maintaining strength and durability. This weight reduction is especially important in offshore applications where structural weight must be kept to a minimum.
Another important aspect of Sandwich Plate System technology is its high fatigue resistance. Offshore structures are subjected to repetitive loading and harsh environmental conditions, which can eventually lead to fatigue damage. SPS, with its resilient composite materials and strong bonding, has exceptional fatigue resistance, ensuring that the repaired structures can withstand cyclic loads and retain their integrity over an extended service life.
The thickness of the elastomer core and metal face plates is an important consideration when implementing Sandwich Plate System technology. The chosen thickness should provide enough strength to withstand the anticipated loads while also ensuring that the facing and core materials function as a unified elastic body. This unified nature enables the composite repair to more effectively distribute and absorb applied loads, improving overall structural performance and damage tolerance.
Fast and Versatile Offshore Repair with MOG Technologies
Having been used in over 600 projects covering 300,000m2 of various marine and offshore applications, SPS can be relied upon as an effective solution for your structural offshore repairs. At MOG Technologies, our goal is to be Asia’s leading provider of structural integrity solutions, with a focus on cost-effectiveness, safety, and quality. Our team of experts deliver innovative and reliable solutions to meet your needs.
Reach out to us to learn more about Sandwich Plate System technology and how it can be adopted for your offshore repair needs.