Nowadays ship launching with airbags is not a novelty. Estimated in China every years there are about 200 vessels have been launched with airbags. Airbag ship launching technology is simple and practical, it can save much money and time. Even recent years shipbuilding market is depressed, it is still booming.

But what is the risks of ship launching with airbags? What is the good ship launching and bad ship launching? When your vessel rolls into water and floats successfully it means you complete a good ship launching, is it true?

Ship launching accidents are easy to find no matter by what method the ship is launched. Dry dock ship launching is considered as the most safe launching way but a shipbuilding company in China sunk three ships when launched them with floating dry docks. So treat ship launching seriously is the first thing we need to do.

Launch Ramp

The technique of ship launching with airbags is simple but it still needs good preparation. Launching ramp is the most easy to be neglected one for airbag ship launching. Some people may say, does balloon ship launching need prepared ramp? Yes, it needs , maybe not concrete ramp but a compacted neat launch ramp is surely needed.

Above pictures show a reckless airbag ship launching. The ramp, maybe only a hill of rubbish, full of stones and steel bar on which balloons can only roll stumblingly and easily to be cut through. At last the bow collide with the hill even there are balloons cushion under it. Forget the possibility of bending moment caused hull damage during the launch, they would not care.

Another brave launching project

The abrupt drop of stern splashed big wave that is exciting for audience but not for ship owner. People can easy find one or two balloons burst when the stern dropped down from above pictures. Then we can deduce the vessel bottom may abrade with ground during the launch.

To avoid such launch accidents, it is simple, just building or paving good launch ramp before the launch.

Sometimes we got complaint of airbag quality from clients. They sent us pictures of airbags with regular cuts and told us it was quality problem. Please be reasonable, people can not expect the rubber made airbags can be stronger than steel or stone.

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Other important factors effect airbag launching safety:

Ship launch risks analysis - water level, visit: http://eversafe-marine.com/technology.aspx?cid=72

Ship launch risks analysis-hold system, visit: http://www.eversafe-marine.com/technology.aspx?cid=73