Maritime Transport Industry

MED-approved materials and the most commonly used plastics in the maritime industry

Aikolon supplies plastic and composite materials for the maritime industry as sheets, and as products made to specifications.

The requirements and approval procedures in place in the EU are specified in Directive 2014/90/EU on marine equipment. In Finland, the directive was implemented in law with the Marine Equipment Act (1503/2011).

Wheel mark The directive on marine equipment is designed to ensure the safety and quality of the equipment of vessels operating under the flag of an EU member state. In practice, compliance with the requirements of the directive can be demonstrated with MED approval, indicated by the wheel mark label on the product.

Interior decor materials used on cruise ships must meet the fire safety requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations. If a vessel sails under the EU flag, the products on board must be MED-approved in line with the Marine Equipment Directive.

Wheel mark

The ship equipment manufacturer must affix the wheel mark on any equipment that meets the requirements set in Section 4, Sub-section 1 and that has been manufactured in line with the compliance assessment procedure. Instead of the wheel mark or in addition to it, the ship equipment manufacturer may also use an electronic ID pursuant to the Marine Equipment Directive.

Aikolon Oy is a member of the YardMate network. YardMate is a shipbuilding consortium that supports the operations of shipyards and their subcontractors.

Aikolon Oy is a member of the YardMate network. YardMate is a shipbuilding consortium that supports the operations of shipyards and their subcontractors.

Benefits of plastics:

  • long service life, resistance to corrosion, salt, UV radiation and weather
  • lightness
  • resistance to wear

The most commonly used materials:

Marine applications for plastics

On ships, plastics and composite materials are typically used in balcony partition walls, cabin walls and ceilings, furnishing, illuminated signs and advertising boards, luminaire diffusers, electrical insulation, soundproofing, and machine and equipment covers.

Typical applications on boats include windscreens, roof hatches, furniture and furnishings, doors and dashboards.

Boats

balcony partition walls ALUCORE®
cabin walls and ceilings ALUCOBOND®plus, KAPA®tech
furnishings KAPA®tech, PMMA
illuminated signs/advertising boards PMMA, PC, PETG,
luminaire diffusers PMMA, PC DX
machine and device covers PETG
electrical insulation GPO-3

Boats

windscreens PMMA, PC, PETG
roof hatches PMMA, PC, PETG
doors
furnishings KAPA®tech
dashboard gauge backboards