When it comes to inflatable products, many people think of bouncy castles, parade floats or dancing tubes used for advertising. But the world of air-supported structures, or inflatable’s, extends far beyond the use of entertainment and advertising to industrial, military, architectural and aerospace applications. Whether they’re used as a portable shelter or a payload landing on Mars, air-supported structures offer numerous benefits over traditionally built alternatives. “Typically, inflatable’s are a more elegant engineering solution because they are simple by design, In addition, they require fewer mechanical parts, and they pack tightly and take up very little volume.
Inflatables provide some eco-friendly benefits as well. “In today’s world when energy and its conservation are in the forefront of development, inflatable’s offer a low-energy production alternative to comparative products, this advantage is growing by the use of recyclable fabrics, water-based coatings and low-energy fans and blowers.
The fabrics, coatings and finishing of inflatable products all contribute to their successful operation. In terms of selecting materials & important characteristics:
• Tear and rip resistance to reduce accidental damage
• Coating adhesion to the fabric under all conditions of operation
• Weathering resistance and the ability to easily clean, including resistance to UV degradation, abrasion resistance and retention of physical properties after long periods of exposure
• Suitability of the material for joining techniques, which retain the full strength of the base material and integrity and properties of the coatings
• Pliability and flexibility to prevent damage during packing, storage and handling, as well as ability to shape conform to applied pressures and forces
• Fire-retardant properties and flame spread resistance to meet fire and safety codes
• Translucence or opacity, along with insulating properties as the application require
Coatings, meanwhile, contribute to an inflatable’s pliability, weather resistance, durability and colour/opacity.
As technology continues to evolve in the world of inflatable’s, so will the markets and opportunities. “The need for reliable, lightweight and compact shelters that can be rapidly loaded and deployed will be ever growing “Inflatable products are the only things that meet these requirements.” For support, pressure, cushioning and space filling, inflatables are a great solution. With a world that is always looking for ways to reduce cost, what materials are less expensive than an air-filled inflatable?”
Andy Weir
Director of Dryspace Structures Ltd
This post is tagged Inflatable structure benefits