CARGO PROTECTION

Rubber Dunnage Bags

The new corner fill dunnage bag is an exemplar of innovation in the marine cargo protection field. We are proud to announce that this has been recognised by the award of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation to Checkmate Flexible Engineering for its design and development. The Award also confirms the success of this outstanding product in the world market place and is a tribute to our people and the quality of the business. The well proven corner valve means the bag can be fully inserted into gaps, allowing higher pressures in narrow gaps and greater jacking forces to lock the stow firmly. Only the best quality materials are used and these bags are the subject of strict quality controls. Ours is the only bag to have been type approved for air loss by the American Bureau of Shipping. These tough, durable, high quality, dunnage bags will maintain their working pressure throughout a typical ocean voyage, thus securing the stow for the duration of the transit. The high friction surface promotes grip, thus preventing slippage. We are proud to list the major breakbulk carriers amongst our customers for this highly cost effective product.


Heavy Weight Jacking Bags

Jacking bags may be constructed either as single units, multi-chambered or the folded mattress type. They are used to move and position the stow in areas in the hold where it is difficult or impossible to use machines such as fork lift trucks, after which the bag removed before the sea passage. Alternatively they may be used to compress the stow and hold it securely in position for the duration of the sea passage. In these circumstances we recommend the use of our dunnage bag filling and pressure maintenance system (click here) to ensure a constant jacking force.

Typical applications for these bags are in ships holds, Boatyards, emergency services, construction industry and storage facilities.
Constructed of heavyweight neoprene rubber coated fabric for durability and strength. The air valve accepts a standard air line and the bag has carrying straps included.

American Bureau of Shipping

Checkmate Flexible Engineering has been awarded type approval by it ABS for its range of jacking and dunnage bags, the only company in its field to have been so recognised

Dunnage Bag Filling and Pressure Maintenance System Automatic Cargo Securing System

Checkmate’s innovative Dunnage Bag Filling and Pressure Maintenance System has been designed and developed by Avon Fabrications Division to ensure that constant pressure is maintained in dunnage bags or jacking bags throughout the voyage.

The Problem
When using airbags to secure cargo they may lose air due to minor damage or seepage as they get older, but they also experience large variations in pressure due to changes in atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature during a passage. Additionally, whenever the vessel suffers heavy weather conditions, certain cargoes, e.g. bales of pulp, can compress due to accelerations in pitch, roll and yaw. Compression opens gaps between bales and further exacerbates the movement of the block stow within the hold. This type of movement causes chafing damage to the cargo, and in extreme cases it can adversely affect the stability of the ship.
Often it may be difficult to gain access to a hatch or to re-inflate airbags, but our patented manifold system keeps them inflated at all times without crew intervention.

How it works
The system can rapidly inflate a number of airbags simultaneously, and then has the capability to maintain the pressure to a preset value for the duration of the voyage. No crew intervention is required once the stow is locked by the inflated bags.
The manifold (which incorporates an integral dryer/particle filter) has rapid-fill and pressure maintenance facilities and is connected to the ship’s air supply. A safety shut off valve prevents over-inflation.
Once rapid initial fill is completed, the manifold is switched to automatic top-up. In this mode, the system constantly monitors the air pressure in the bags, automatically topping them up to the pre-set level. In this way the security of the stow is maintained throughout the voyage. Moreover, the system is designed to cope with critical events, including air leaks of up to 5 litres/minute. Should any bags burst or leak excessively, in-line safety valves ensure pressure is accurately maintained in those remaining intact.
The manifold is easily portable and can be placed either on top of the stow, or outside the hold with individual air lines passed through a watertight gland in the hatch coaming to the airbags.

Result
With this system, the top tier of cargo will remain solidly locked despite leakage and variations in atmospheric conditions. This ensures less movement in the whole stow. And, as tests have proved, it has the additional benefit of reducing the overall number of airbags needed. Companies that believe in continuous improvement in standards of cargo security, damage claims reduction and excellent customer service have demonstrated the value of the system