Marine Polymers Changing Industry

When people think cutting-edge technology in the marine industry, polymers may not jump to mind. Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube are changing this notion and rapidly reshaping the commercial ship bushing market. The innovative thermoplastics offer performance superior to that of nylon or bronze, with dramatically lower life cycle maintenance and operational costs.

Vesconite, the company whose products bear its name, has the design, production capacity and worldwide distribution infrastructure to serve an ever-growing maritime industry. Formed in 1958, it entered the marine marketplace 37 years ago by supplying stern tube bearings to the pilot cutter, RP Jackson. Since then, its moderately-priced, durable bearings and wear plates have been installed in countless commercial and naval vessels worldwide, earning the company a reputation as a market leader.

Vesconite applications include deck cranes, grabs, hatch covers, pulleys, rudders, sheaves, stern rollers, stern tubes, thrusters and winches. The self-lubricating, low friction material is able to carry high loads, doesn't swell in water or need to be greased, and offers up to ten times the usable life of bronze. It performs in the dirtiest of conditions and is ideal in settings where maintenance is difficult and a long service life is required.

With 10 industrial sites, Vesconite has over 530,000 sq. ft. of design and manufacturing space for polymer compounding, extrusion and injection molding, and final machining. The high-performance material is easily tooled using metal or woodworking equipment and is non-toxic. Its high dimensional stability enables very precise milling tolerances.

With 49 CNC turning and machining centers, and over 45 manufacturing specialists, Vesconite is capable of producing both raw materials as well as custom, finished pieces. Production runs range from one-offs to over 10,000. Most orders are shipped within days of receipt.

The company has positioned itself globally to better serve the needs of the commercial marine industry. It has warehouses in South Africa, Texas, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Additionally, it has stocking distributors in Argentina, Australia and Singapore, to serve over 90 countries.

Vesconite is accredited to ISO 9001. Product quality approvals are maintained with the American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, China Classification Society, China Corporation Register of Shipping, Det Norske Veritas, Germanische Lloyds, Korean Register of Shipping and Lloyds Register.

See the complete line of Vesconite products at the WorkBoat Show & Annual Conference, December 3–5, New Orleans, Louisiana, Vesco Plastics booth # 1259.