A resurgence in the use of commercial hovercraft has led to a three-fold increase in demand for a key component from leading rubber manufacturer Icon Polymer.

The Retford-based company has been producing the fabric used to manufacture hovercraft skirts for more than 40 years but in recent years demand has been mainly for defence and coastguard vessels.

Now, however, with increased awareness of the risk of damage to the environment coupled with the need to source oil from inaccessible areas, demand for large commercial hovercraft is rising and Icon Polymer has been able to capitalise on its expertise in the sector with orders trebling in the past year.

Large commercial hovercraft are capable of carrying oil drilling or other industrial equipment, support vehicles and personnel across sensitive environments, such as marshes, with the minimum of environmental disturbance. Their use is also increasing on ice-fields and where shallow rivers have to be negotiated.

Icon Polymer not only manufactures the fabric for these new vessels but also fabricates the skirt segments. Each vessel requires up to 300 segments – often measuring 12ft by 6ft each – and based upon current demand, Icon Polymer is expecting to manufacture at least 3 vessel sets over the next 12 months.

Icon’s Sales Manager, Damon Simpson, said: “Hovercraft were fashionable in the late 1960s and early ‘70s but they lost market when high-speed alternatives, such the catamaran ferries, were developed. Increasing awareness of the need to minimise environmental impact has led to their resurgence and we have been able to demonstrate our expertise in engineered fabrics to meet demand for skirts for the new craft in production.

“The performance/weight ratio is crucial and our experience in producing prototype skirts for the military has enabled us to use this technology to produce lighter components which remain strong and long-lasting, even in the most hostile environments where the hovercraft have to negotiate rocks, debris and fences.”

The Icon Polymer Group designs and manufactures high performance, safety critical, polymer-based components for aerospace, defence, transportation, power, energy and various industrial markets. Its products range from aerodynamic seals and air-to-air refuelling hoses to customised vibration control components in rail and construction vehicles which are supplied worldwide.

For further information, please contact John Greaves, Director of Sales, Icon Polymer Group, on 01777 714300 or Sara Lamper at Sara Lamper PR on 01423 701147.