Thomas, B., Hadfield, M. and Austen, S., 2010. Alternative
Lining Material Testing for Lifeboat Slipways. Proceedings of
the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part J: Journal of
Engineering Tribology. (Submitted) Full text available as: |PDF
- Submitted Version| Official URL:
http://journals.pepublishing.com/content/119777/ The Royal
National Lifeboat Institution provides a marine search and
rescue service using a variety of lifeboats and lifeboat
stations. In locations where there is no natural harbour it is
necessary to use an inclined slipway to launch the lifeboat into
the sea. Lifeboat slipway stations consist of an initial section
where the boat is held on rollers followed by an inclined
keelway lined with low friction composite materials, the
lifeboat is released from the top of the slipway and proceeds
under its own weight into the water. Currently, a graphite
infused jute/phenolic resin composite is the preferred slipway
lining material for all lifeboat launch slipways, chosen for its
potential ab