YACHT AND BOAT PROPELLERS

DESIGN PROPELLERS FOR BOATS AND YACHTS ITP

Our standard production of boat and yacht propellers includes a range of 3-blade propellers, 4-blade propellers, 5-blade propellers, 6-blade propellers.

Italian Propellers designs propellers for boats and yachts made of manganese brass alloy and nickel aluminium bronze alloy.

Boat propellers made from these two types of alloys guarantee higher water and corrosion resistance, improving propeller requirements whilst sailing.

The manufacturing of these propellers responds to the demands of pleasure boats, fishing boats, speed boats, tug boats and medium tonnage ships.

The boat propeller manufacturing operations start from a long and careful study and design phase.

Precision and professionalism are key factors when creating products that promote the highest possible output with the lowest fuel consumption.

Another paramount aspect of boat propellers is the pitch, given that a wider pitch means higher top speed, and a smaller one means increased acceleration.

At Italian Propellers we use a selection of prime materials combined with the efficacy of our innovative, state-of-the-art and constantly evolving in-house production lines.

Although most boat propellers are based on 3 and 4 blades, the Italian Propellers team can also deliver:

• 5-blade propellers
• 6-blade propellers

Manufacturing of boat propellers

For over 35 years Italian Propellers has been exploiting state-of-the-art technologies, not only for the production of boat and yacht propellers, but also for:

• boat rudders
• propeller shafts
• propeller shaft brackets
• surface propellers
• propeller cones
• propeller stern tubes
• mechanical seals
• water-lubricated bushings for boats

We also provide propeller repair services for any type of boat that is damaged, even partially, as a result of impact with sand banks, getting stranded on rocks or other events.

The Italian Propellers team guarantees the customer a 360-degree service for all types of damage.

The service includes the repair, overhaul and adjustments of damaged propellers and, if necessary, the cost calculation and realisation of single propellers.

The company cooperates with Shipyards, Ship Owners and Ship Registers, so as not to restrict itself to the individual production of 3, 4, 5 or 6 blade boat propellers.

As for a boat propellers, the lower the number of blades - the higher the level of performance, but this can create excessive vibrations, which is detrimental to the water tightness of the vessel, manoeuvrability and comfort.

A boat propeller with more blades decreases in efficiency, but the vibrations also decrease, resulting in a boat that is safer and more comfortable.

Our in-house team, with the support of a study and research centre, boasts the ability to manufacture custom boat propellers.

The manufacturing of custom propellers starts from the customer specifications or drawings, following all the design and manufacturing phases through to the final delivery.

All activities are certified and do not require the services of intermediaries or third-party companies for activities related to the manufacture or design of propellers.

The activities related to the manufacturing of boat propellers, the overhaul, adjustment and design of marine propellers and supports, are all part of a quality control system.

A quality control, in accordance with ISO 484/2 certification, to guarantee product excellence over time with no compromising.

The propeller models for boats and yachts that require more repair, refit, straightforward maintenance, balancing or rebalancing are as follows:

• A3
• A4
• A63
• AD4
• AS3
• B45
• D4
• DK4
• K3
• K4
• L3
• M3, M4, M5
• MK3, MK4, MK5, MKA5, MKR5, MKS4
• R4, R5, RK4
• S3, S4, S5
• SBM, SMK4
• Y3, Y4, Y4B, Y5, Y5B, Y6, Y6B

Boat propeller repairs

Of the many activities managed in-house by the Italian Propellers team, the repair of boat propellers is the area in which our know-how is best represented.

In addition to the design, production and manufacturing of marine propellers, Italian Propellers also deals with the reconstruction of missing parts of propellers.

The boat propeller and its couplings undergo constant stress while the vessel is at sea, resulting in a loss of engine thrust.

Based on our experience in the marine industry, propeller repair services also include the possibility to increase or decrease the pitch.

Increasing or decreasing the propeller pitch to boost and optimise boat performance can also be achieved by sharing data provided by customers.

As well as intervening on cavitation which, in addition to damaging the boat propeller can create excessive cylinder overheating and consequently the risk of seizure.

Repairs to propellers may also involve the modification, manufacturing or realisation of:

• propeller shaft brackets
• propeller shafts
• rudders
• flanges
• stern tubes
• mechanical seals
• water-lubricated bushings

Various modifications to the propeller cone, and conical cartridges are also available to adapt shaft propellers to smaller diameter shafts and finally variations to the blade itself.

All the activities are included in a quality control system by adhering to a number of certifications based on the activities carried out.

Marine propeller overhauls

There are several elements that can impact the correct fuel consumption and the speed of vessels and one of these is definitely related to the propeller overhauls.

It is essential that the propeller has a perfect configuration to avoid compromising safety or encountering a more serious problem whilst sailing.

During the overhaul of the boat propeller, it is important to carefully examine and detect any deformations that can cause loss of performance.

It is important to check for the presence of debris or scaling on the boat propeller blades to avoid decreasing efficiency and generating vibrations whilst sailing.

Thanks to extensive experience in the marine industry, Italian Propellers carries out scheduled routine and extraordinary maintenance including the overhaul of marine propellers.

Propeller overhauls can be carried out on boats and yachts ranging from 7 to 50 metres in size.

Propeller overhaul related activities can focus on one or more factors, such as:

• damage to the propeller
• correct configuration of the propeller
• bearings tests, shaft and transmission alignment
• excessive vibrations
• the engine speed in rpm is lower than those indicated on the engine warranty
• propeller modifications
• offering a new experience compared to that of the manufacturer
• improving propeller performance
• optimised fuel consumption
• checking of material consumptions

Marine propeller balancing

The balancing of marine propellers consists in eliminating vibration from the propeller to prevent shaft bearing faults and entire engine failure.

Positioned on a pivot pin, the balancing of the two-blade propeller is achieved by removing the material from the heavier blade so that both propeller blades weigh the same

Often, with three-blade, four-blade and five-blade propellers, a propeller balance level similar to a bubble balancer used in other sectors is adopted.

The boat propeller is balanced by removing material from the heavier blades, by drilling the propeller boss at the base of the blade, until the level resets to zero.

Sometimes weight is added to the lighter side and then fastened to the propeller by means of welding or brazing operations performed with exceptional professional expertise by Italian Propellers.

The working life of the bearings is also increased considerably thanks to the proper propeller balancing and, in a marine application, propeller vibrations could potentially sink the boat.

In the balancing of boat propellers, the blades are often stored until the correct weight is removed to guarantee that the propeller is duly balanced.

Italian Propellers guarantees the overhaul, repair and balancing of boat propellers exclusively in-house, thanks to its team of highly qualified professionals.

Thanks to the use of state-of-the-art technologies which impact the dimensional checks of the diameter, pitch or shape in order to achieve best possible engine coupling.

Italian Propellers is not just about reconstructing the profile and shape of propeller blades, or their repair or replacement due to poor maintenance.

Dynamic static balancing of the propellers is also available, as is the surface finishings of any balancing and customisation of any kind, to guarantee the safety of the customers whilst sailing.

Marine propeller balancing

We have to know all the secrets of each individual vessel in order to carry out interventions aimed at improving performance, such as the balancing of marine propellers.

This is an extremely delicate intervention, given the fundamental importance of the boat propeller that can have an impact on the entire vessel and safety whilst sailing.

This is an extremely delicate intervention, given the fundamental importance of this element for the excellent condition of the whole vessel and safety when sailing at sea.

Italian Propellers guarantees to all its customers multiple innovative solutions with superior quality materials and products along with state-of-the-art technologies to meet all market demands.

To avoid serious breakdowns and malfunctions of vessels it is important to carry out the envisaged routine maintenance, following the strict procedures concerning safety and quality control.

In the event of damage or wear to the boat propeller, it is necessary to foresee the replacement of the various components such as:

• propellers
• propeller shafts
• blades
• boss
• pins

Italian Propellers also provides propeller balancing services for boats, choosing from the many types of propellers and materials available, as well as adapting the propeller pitch to optimise performance.

All types of operations involved in the balancing of marine propellers are based on an exceptionally high level of quality and preliminary risk assessment to guarantee a safe and reliable product.

The static and dynamic balancing of the marine propellers, at the headquarters of Italian Propellers, is completed with the issue of a Certificate of Conformity related to finishing activities, also in class S.

Using a software specifically developed to conduct quality control, Italian Propellers focused on improving the quality of its products and the efficiency of all the services it delivers.

Manufacturing of boat propellers

The manufacturing of boat propellers is an operation that requires many years of experience in the marine industry, highly qualified personnel and superior quality products.

Italian Propellers is a company with over 35 years of experience in the marine industry and manufactures propellers for boats, guaranteeing an innovative and safe product.

The propeller manufacturing products are of superior quality, innovative and designed and manufactured in a scrupulous manner, only using state-of-the-art materials and technologies.

Boat propellers are a key component in all vessels and represent the thrust element of the vessel, i.e., the one that transmits the movement.

The manufacturing of boat propellers made of OT-MAN (manganese brass) alloy and NI-BRAL (nickel aluminium bronze alloy) includes:

• 3-blade propellers
• 4-blade propellers
• 5-blade propellers
• 6-blade propellers

Every day Italian Propellers sets itself the objective of optimising the existing range of its products and designing innovative solutions that can fully meet the demands of its customers.

The company poses no restrictions in any of its activities given that, in addition to standard manufacturing, it is able to provide all its customers with marine propellers tailored to meet their every demand.

The manufacturing of boat propellers is based on the customer's specifications, including highly detailed drawings, which are all checked by the Italian Propellers in-house experts.

The other option is to assign the manufacturing and design of propellers to the company's research and studies centre, exploiting the many years of experience in hydrodynamics and sailing tests.

In any case, the boat propellers made and designed by the Italian Propellers experts are able to meet all envisaged demands, paying utmost attention to every minute detail.

The propellers manufactured by Italian Propellers provide the best possible performance in any type of activity, without foregoing maximum safety whilst sailing.

Designing of boat propellers

The designing of boat propellers is a very complex process, as no two boats are ever the same, given that engines, weights and outfitting always differ.

It is therefore necessary to take the measurements of the boat and conduct innovative studies in order to design and manufacture the right propeller for each individual boat, and create and configure the best solution for each of them.

It is also important to understand the requirements of the ship owner, a boat with retrofitted engines may also need to change the propellers in order to adapt them to the new engine.

It is necessary to assess all the characteristics of the vessel, such as type, weight, and maximum speed that impact the design of the boat's propeller, its shape, size and pitch.

This is why Italian Propellers designs 3 to 6-blade propellers for pleasure boats, specifically tailored to meet the demands of each individual customer, even the most performing ones.

hanks to a state-of-the-art technical study and the use of elaborate hydrodynamic analysis software, Italian Propellers guarantees the superior level of quality and safety of the manufactured propellers.

The design of each propeller is the end result of hours of work by qualified experts and testing of the materials used to be able to deliver a product that poses no unexpected events whilst sailing.

During the design phase, it is necessary to bear in mind that the profile of the boat propeller, affects its performance to maximise efficiency, exert thrust or reduce the noise level.

The initial phases of the designing of marine propellers include:

• The acquisition of the measurements of the vessel
• Displacement and centre of gravity data
• Details on the installed power and the engine's r.p.m.
• The reduction ratio and shape of the hull

The expert technical team then processes the information to obtain an accurate model of the propeller, which must pass strictest quality and safety tests.

A 3D printer is used to prepare a prototype mould to produce propellers that guarantee maximum sailing comfort and performance.

Italian Propellers performs ongoing material studies and strict controls during the casting phase, using the NIBRAL propeller design to prevent wear of elements at sea.

Once extracted from the moulds, the propellers are trimmed, balanced and polished by highly skilled personnel using state-of-the-art measuring instruments.

The design of the boat propellers fully complies with the specifications indicated for each individual vessel and customer, and comes with a 24-month warranty.