Western Cape benefits from Table Bay rubber's ongoing hose development

In the Cape Town harbour, the company has been involved with the supply of ship bunkering hoses. The hoses are used for discharging various liquids including, chemicals, petrochemicals and vegetable oils from ship to shore or vice versa. The success of the company's bunkering hose has lead to customers acquiring the product for other destinations in Africa, such as an order for 20 units of 100 mm ID x 6 m long bunkering hose by East African Storage Company in Kenya. In this instance, the hoses are being used for discharging vegetable oils.

Having its own hose pressure-testing equipment for regular testing of hoses used to transport products from ship to shore allows for the onsite testing of hoses. "We offer this as a value-added service to our clients, predominantly those in the petrochemical arena," states Randal Dicke, Managing Director, TBRC. "The National Ports Authority are clamping down on harbour pollution and this has raised awareness for the regular testing of hoses."

TBRC has also been instrumental in standardising the design of fenders for The National Ports Authority. This includes replacing D-profiled fenders with cylindrical fenders, which allow for fenders to be rotated when damaged, thus providing at least three working surfaces as opposed to the one working surface offered by a D-profiled fender. These changes in design have resulted in fenders that have improved working capabilities and longer life expectancy. Standardisation has also enabled vessels of similar design and working conditions to be fitted with the same fenders. Not only has this had cost-saving implications but, also in times of emergency, allows for fenders to be interchanged between vessels.