Concerning components for maritime application, Simplex-Turbulo products by B+V Industrietechnik GmbH (BVI) have been a guarantor for know-how for more than fifty years now. Due to decades of experience in providing environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions, BVI established themselves as a proven supplier to renowned shipyards.

This week, the company celebrates a special anniversary. The 500th fin stabiliser manufactured by BVI will be supplied to the shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The Simplex-Compact system with hydraulic drive features retractable 75 t fins with a surface of 14 square metres each. The stabilising system will be delivered to the customer with two low-loading trucks. At the shipyard, the fin stabilisers will be integrated in the new car- and passenger ferry "Pont-Aven" owned by the French shipping company Brittany Ferries. From spring 2004 onward, the "Pont-Aven" will be cruising between Plymouth and Santander. It is scheduled to cross the Canal and the Biscay in a running time of less than 20 hours.

The fin stabilisers then will provide for a comfortable crossing, even under unfavourable weather conditions. In the meantime, nearly all cruise liners but also yachts and ferries are equipped with fin stabilisers. Thus, secure and convenient transport of passengers, crew and cargo is ensured. The stabilisers damp the rolling motions in rough seas, by providing sufficient turning moment along the long-axis of the ship to cancel out the effects of the wave moment. The equipment reacts highly efficient within split-seconds. The stabilisation system works as follows: Attrition-free acceleration sensors measure the rolling motions of the ship caused by wind and sea disturbances. The signals of the sensors and the ship`s speed measuring systems are evaluated by a digital control switchboard which governs the hydraulics to switch on the fins. The accordingly controlled activation of the fins and the resultant lift generate a stabilising function that countervails the ship`s rolling moment.

The optimisation of the fins is counted among the major continuous improvements of the stabiliser. B+V Industrietechnik owns an international patent for the so-called "Anti-Vortex Tip Fairings", an application at the fins` tips, reducing cavitation and therefore drag. Depending on the different versions, lift will be improved for 10 to 25 percent.

Another new development, the high-performance fin, features concave profiles instead of the conventional tail flap. These concave profiles cause a jet effect and enhance the circulation and therefore the lift once again. The high-performance fin offers an optimum solution for medium speed vessels demanding a high degree of stabilisation.

Since 1961, fin stabilisers under the patented trade name Simplex-Compact have been developed, designed and manufactured in Hamburg for shipyards all over the world. The know-how of B+V Industrietechnik GmbH, nowadays belonging to the ThyssenKrupp Technologies Segment, is based upon original developments and engineering research of the erstwhile Deutsche Werft. The trade name Simplex-Compact always remained unchanged. To date, after the integration into the former Blohm+Voss AG and therewith into today`s B+V Industrietechnik, Simplex-Compact still stands for quality and innovation.

Contact:
B+V Industrietechnik
Bettina Schirmbeck
Public Relations Dept.
Tel.: (040) 3011-1133
Fax: (040) 3011-1915
e-mail: schirmbeckb@tkt-bvi.thyssenkrupp.com