Clearshield: cruise control for glass

The marine environment is a harsh one for glass. Seawater deposits, metal oxides and engine exhaust are just some of the problems for cruise ships as they stain and discolour the surface and make cleaning difficult and time-consuming. Safety is also of paramount importance and visibility from the command bridge should never be impaired by contaminated glass.

It’s fitting that marine applications are a major area for Ritec’s Clearshield glass protection system. This liquid based system is manually applied on the glass to form a ‘non-stick’ surface that prevents contaminants bonding onto the surface and limits further damage through corrosion and chemical attack. Dirt can be easily removed using normal cleaning methods, and frequency of cleaning is reduced by around 50 per cent. In addition to the protection of new glass, Ritec’s Renovation System enables glass already installed and heavily stained to be fully restored and then protected.

ClearShield’s properties are well known in the architectural glass market, where different formulations of the product have been used for over 20 years, particularly on glazing that is dirt-exposed or difficult to access for cleaning. The marine projects are undertaken by Ritec International Marine Services, a division of Bohle Clearshield Benelux BV, Ritec’s Dutch agent.

Ideal application

Cruise liners make ideal projects for ClearShield. Clean exterior glass surfaces are vital for good visibility, both for the safety of all on board, and for the holidaymakers to enjoy the sights from these prestigious vessels. Interior glass surfaces, including balustrading and sandblasted areas, are an extremely worthwhile application too. Here, ClearShield helps to maintain clean surfaces in these high use areas, keeping them free of finger marks. Because of the non-stick quality that ClearShield brings to glass, hygiene is another area that Ritec is beginning to investigate for healthcare applications.

The Crown Princess is the crown jewel of the Princess fleet. It is the newest liner in the 15 strong Princess fleet owned by P&O and, in keeping with the rest of the fleet, it boasts luxurious facilities. Its unique Crown Plaza is an atrium designed in the spirit of an Italian piazza where you can get a bite to eat or just relax and people-watch. Other highlights of this brand new ship include the Crown Grill, modeled after a classic steakhouse, the Sanctuary deck area, reserved just for adults, and the Movies Under the Stars poolside cinema.

Glass specification

Ritec International Marine Services has applied Clearshield to more than 12,000 square metres of glass on the liner. The work was carried out on-site in May during the construction of the 285 metre long, 113,000 ton vessel at the Fincantieri shipyard in Montfalcone, on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Glass for the Crown Princess was supplied by Somec, the Treviso based processor and glazing contractor that is active in both the architectural and marine markets.

Somec has developed its own framing systems, including fire rated designs. It has supplied many prestigious cruise ships, built at the Fincantieri, Mitsibushi and other shipyards worldwide.

Glazing for the Crown Princess is extensive, and includes continuous glass walls on the open decks and and balustrading in many of the public areas. With the other details, like the sandblasted features in the restaurants and bars, there is a lot of glass to be kept clean.

Slim aluminium profiles and stainless steel fixings are common features of many of the framing systems on board. Sliding doors in the passenger cabins open out onto glazed balconies. Here, the sliding doors use IG units with 5mm tempered Glaverbel Stopsol clear solar control glass, and an inner low emmissivity glass. The balcony balustrades use a 10mm tempered Dark Blue tinted glass, which colour matches with the 8mm toughened windscreens and balustrading on the upper decks.

Dark Blue is again a feature of the glass walls on the decks, comprising IG units with 8mm tempered Dark Blue with an inner laminate of 4+4mm float.

Glazing for the wheelhouse comprises 15mm clearfloat laminated with 6mm tempered, and incorporates a heating element.

A spray application would waste copious amounts of ClearShield, so the liquid is applied manually to the glass. The installed glass creates many awkward areas for application, requiring the Dutch team to kneel to reach the balustrading, and wear harnesses to cover the outside of the ship. The on-site application also served as the final glass inspection for the Crown Princess, which was the reason why ClearShield was not applied at the Somec factory.

The ClearShield team certainly had their work cut out, working around the other trades and with a tough deadline to meet. Conditions by the Adriatic in May were not too uncomfortable for the team. But the arrival of a party of journalists and an evening ending with several rounds of ‘aperitivo’ – a local tipple based on Campari – might have hampered their efforts a litte.

The Crown Princess is now making its first commercial cruises, which are mainly roundtrips of Caribbean resorts, leaving from New York. More than 10 other Princess Cruise ships have had ClearShield protection. The new liner won’t need attention for several years now, but after this initial treatment, the renovation and protection process will be much easier.