Commercial sector takes its technology from the leisure side
Timage is returning to Seawork after an absence of a couple of years to launch a raft of new products aimed at the commercial sector including steering wheels, helm seats, pilot seats and heavy duty dock fendering.
While many people will know of Timage for its luxury leisure brands, the company says its commercial business is growing, partly due to many of the products being adapted for this sector.
“We do find that there are now many products being adapted for the commercial sector which previously have only available on the leisure side,” explained Timage MD Oliver Lanza.
“With all these new products, the focus is on practicality while retaining the good design features demanded by the leisure side, particularly the superyacht sector.”
And it’s not just practicality but also new technology which is now being transferred across sectors. Besenzoni which Timage represents in the UK is particularly prevalent in this.
“They are a big name in hydraulic gear,” said Mr Lanza. “We’re in discussions with different builders about using the mechanisms from their bathing platforms on rescue vessels.
“It’s simple hydraulic engineering which can be adopted for different uses such as in a MOB context. A platform or section of the vessel can be lowered to water level so anyone who has fallen overboard can be rescued.
“It follows the same principles. Designers in the commercial market are excited about it.”
Other products which have originated from the pleasure boat industry where space is at a premium are Besenzoni’s Magic hydraulic flybridge crane and its fully retractable helipad.
The crane, which is retractable and telescopic folding into a compact size, is suitable for lifting someone out of the water and the helipad is fully retractable. Originally developed for superyachts which don’t want a dedicated helipad, the product is suitable for many offshore vessels, says Mr Lanza.
“The pleasure boat industry is very good at designing products to sit within a certain space,” explained Mr Lanza. “They still want all the features; they want the latest gadgets but only have limited space and so designers and builders have to be creative and inventive to make the products fit, something Besenzoni is very good at.”
He added: “In addition there are countless possibilities with lighting. Yacht designers are pushing the boundaries in this area and coming up with new ideas, particularly for underwater lighting, which can be used on commercial vessels.
“It’s the whole flexibility of being able to put lighting where they want, in possibly hazardous or exposed areas.”
The same housing which is used for underwater lighting is also used in underwater cameras which can be used for inspecting vessels without the need to send divers down.
“There are many applications which are derived from the pleasure boat industry,” explains Mr Lanza. “For us the materials and craftsmanship of a product is paramount.
“Our products are generally sourced from a very small area of Northern Italy which is known for its excellence in marine and boat building.
“The Italians do design very well. Everything we add to our product range is made well and we’re sure our customers are going to be pleased with the product which will live up to expectations. We look to choose quality where we can.
Timage supplies to some of the leading UK boatyards. Visit their stand C211 at Seawork 2015.
By Katina Read
