Press
Obing, 6 July 2017. Construction of the new AIDAperla began in Japan in 2013. Following the journey to Europe by the 300m long ship built at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki, it was ceremoniously baptised on 30 June 2017 in Palma de Mallorca against the backdrop of the city’s night-time skyline.
As in the case of the AIDAprima, membrane specialist seele cover was responsible for the design, fabrication, delivery and erection of two three-layer ETFE film roofs for the pool and leisure areas on board the AIDAperla. The total area of the four ETFE roofs on the two ships is about 4,000sqm. These are transparent, movable roof segments that can be opened. So-called retractable roof structures are a speciality of seele cover. Such designs with their high corrosion resistance involve, for example, power chains with flexible air supplies, drive systems with electric geared motors, toothed belt drives, pneumatic seals and locking devices, control technology with inductive sensors and remote controls.
The vibrations of the ship’s engines, acceleration forces due to the motion of the ship, the high wind loads some 50m above sea level, the marine climate with the high salt concentrations and the changing climate zones place high demands on the materials and the structural analysis. In order to handle these special demands, seele cover developed a new type of screw-less clamping bar for the ETFE film cushions.
In terms of sustainability and durability, the use of ETFE film roofs in shipbuilding represents the best answer. Pneumatic ETFE systems attenuate and absorb the effects of the wind and have a self-extinguishing effect in the event of a fire. The foil has an anti-adhesive surface and so is self-cleaning because dust and dirt hardly sticks to it – and any that does is simply washed off by rainwater. The design life of an ETFE roof is about 25 to 30 years and the film can be fully recycled.
seele cover, based in Obing, Germany, is recognised as an expert when it comes to innovative, sustainable membrane and ETFE film structures. The use of ETFE film roofs in shipyards represents a new departure. seele’s involvement in unique projects underpins its pioneering role in innovative membrane and ETFE film designs.