Composite propeller range developed

Fleetwater Marine has launched a range of carbon fibre propellers measuring up to 5m in diameter. The Contur Marine Propellers are manufactured from a combination of carbon, aramide and many layers of carbon fibre matting, cut and laid in a precise order to allow controlled flexing of the propeller blade. This, says Fleetwater, allows the propeller blade to continually adjust to the load applied and conditions encountered thereby allowing optimal pitch at all times. The manufacturing process also uses drawn polyethylene fibres, which helps increase propeller strength as well as resistance of the tips to below water impacts. Larger propellers are available as one-off designs.