Who will apply Micanti Antifouling film?
We have a worldwide network of applicators. These applicators are trained people and used to apply foils on cars, trains, planes and boats. They are not employed by us, but will be hired for each application solely.
Will you apply the film on objects like nozzles, thrusters and grids?
Yes we will in case that is requested by you. Obviously we will charge a little extra for applying Micanti Antifouling film on thrusters, cooling tubes etc. Please have a look at following video will show details of application on grids, thrusters and cooling tubes.
Can Micanti Antifouling film be applied on cooling tubes? And what about the heat transfer?
We apply the film on cooling tubes as well. An independent study by the Dutch company Huxeflux has shown no negative effect on heat transfer after Micanti has been applied. Also tests in practice have shown no negative effects.
Can you apply Micanti Antifouling on seachests?
Yes, we can. Please watch following movie.
How long will it take to apply the film?
The application of Micanti Antifouling takes some more manpower compared to painting/spraying. This is compensated by no drying time and extra crew if necessary. Positive is that workers can continue doing their job on the vessel while the film is applied.
Can you apply Micanti Antifouling on every surface?
Yes, we can apply on all regular vessel construction materials like steel, aluminum and polyester.
What surface preparation is needed?
Newbuilt vessels: Micanti Antifouling is directly pplied on the anti-corrosive paint. In order to be sure that the film will adhere perfectly, we require to receive the specs of the paint before application.
Existing Vessels: the hull needs to be hydrowashed to remove all marine growth. To seal the old antifouling layer underneath, a tie coat needs to be applied by the shipyard. We have a recommended tie coat from every large paint supplier. We apply Micanti directly on the tie coat. This surface is well prepared. As you can see, it is very rough, but that are no loose particles. Therefore the film can be applied! This surface is not well prepared. Although a tie coat has been applied, there are still barnacles underneath the tie coat. Therefore, Micanti cannot be applied.
Can the film be repaired?
Yes. In case of mechanical damage, we advice to remove a straight piece around the damaged area and subsequently, a patch of Micanti Antifouling repair kit can be applied on the damaged area (after cleaning the surface).
How is Micanti Antifouling film produced?
The technology we use to adhere the fibers on the foil is a technology which originates from the automotive industry and is called “ flocking”. The fibers are electrostatically charged are be sprayed on the film, which is pre-treated with a two-component water based adhesive. After spaying, the film and fibers pass through an oven of 160°C to cure the adhesive.
Will the film remain on the hull?
The film is developed together with Avery Dennison a 6 billion USD company which develops amongst others films for car and train wraps but for medical applications as well. Micanti film has been tested up to 30 knots without any problem. The film has been tested on abrasion as well. The structure of the film is as such that it will break instead of falling off once hit by an object. In other words: the film will not fall off but will only be damaged on the local spot. We have tested the adhesion on our vessel in Southern France. After 2 months in the water, we tried to get it off without any tools. https://youtu.be/sW7oSpxXv_c
Are the fibers causing drag?
Before commercializing into the shipping industry, we realised that we needed to test the effect of the fibers on the drag. We have done numerous tests at for example MARIN, TNO, Delft University of Technology and in practice. No negative effect on the drag has been found.
On the left, a model-tanker with Micanti. on the right hand side, the same model without Micanti Antifouling. A change in flow pattern and lower ripple due to Micanti is visible. For a more in depth technical review, please contact us info@micanti.com
How long will Micanti Antifouling last
We have proven that Micanti Antifouling will last at least 5 years. Since we are a young company, we have not proven yet that Micanti Antifouling will last longer. However, we have no reason to doubt that it wouldn’t last longer. Micanti Antifouling is a physical barrier and is not based on leaching ingredients. This is an important difference: ingredients in conventional antifouling will fade our during time.
Will Micanti antifouling easily be damaged?
We have run a so called abrasion test. By running 1000 times a sharp knife with 500 grams of weight on top of the knife, abrasion is measured. After the test, no single damage occured. To put this is in the right perspective: if we would run the same test on a coating, the coating would have been gone.