Life raft has been widely used in various types of navigation ships, playing an increasingly important role in emergency rescue, which is a safe and effective marine life-saving equipment. Compared with other emergency life rafts, inflatable life raft has the significant advantages of small size, lightweight, easy to use, stable performance, safe and reliability.

The liferaft is life-saving equipment without self-propelled capability, used by the crew in the ship. It is equipment that ships getting away from dangerous areas or emergency evacuation. It can be rapidly released into the water and floats over the surface. All kinds of life rafts have a certain buoyancy and can be protected from wind, rain, waves and sunburning with a ceiling, with food and water for survival. It can be stored at a temperature of -10 to + 65 ° C and applied within the temperature range of -1 to +30 ° C.

Two Types Of Life Raft - Rigid And Inflatable Types

Rigid life raft

The rigid life raft, also known as the traditional life-saving raft, its structure is made of galvanized iron, aluminum alloy plate, stainless steel plate. Then the cover is made from the flame retardant material. The top of the raft is provided with a fixed rigid canopy and an entrance, and the bottom is a wooden lattice. The raft is slipped under the water or put down the water with a hanging raft.

The traditional life raft is simple and cost-effective, but the volume is large, cumbersome less carrier.

Inflatable life raft

The inflatable life raft, which is the most widely used liferaft, can be inflated and opened automatically in a short time. It is made of rubber nylon cloth, which can be folded and stored with lightweight. According to its deployment method, there are two types including throw-over type and davit launched type. The most common is a throw-over life raft, and the davit launched liferaft is mainly used for passenger ships.

The davit launched liferaft is to hang life raft at ship side by launching equipment and go inboard from ship’s deck when inflating and to fall it down on the sea by davit. In case of failure in davit launching equipment, the life raft is also designed to be inflated automatically in the same way as throw-over type. It can be thrown out in an emergency, which can also be thrown into the water. The raft can automatically release and float on the water surface.

The self-inflating life raft is designed, when the sea surface is in the overturned condition since the top of the raft is circular, which can reduce contact surface with water, the center of gravity in the bottom of the life raft, after the inflatability is completed, it can be self-centered.

For more introduction, please visit the article on learning the life raft quickly.