One among the advantages of Mets, the world’s largest marine equipment trade show, is that one has the possibility to meet all the professional operators of the field gathered in Amsterdam for three days. It’s an important commercial event and a great occasion for technical reflections, encounters and even discoveries about what’s in the air and upcoming news in every boating field.
For us, it was the occasion to visit the stand of Guidi, one among the world’s most prestigious brands in the field of marine accessories. The news brought in Amsterdam by the Italian group from Grignasco (Novara) is an anti-fouling kit produced in collaboration with Tecnoseal (Grosseto, Italy). It’s a very interesting product, not an absolute news on the market but a very advanced interpretation of other similar ones. It was created just few weeks before the show and it will be launched in early 2017.
This kit allows to solve the problem of fouling caused by the entrance of seawater and marine vegetation (seaweeds, micro-organisms, etc..) into the cooling circuit.
We received more details by Alessandro Guidi.
Can you explain us the concept and working of this kit?
” It arises from a specific need of the market, very strong in some geographic areas: that of finding a way to stop fouling from proliferating in the engine filters of the cooling system, in order to make maintenance easy and less frequent”.
How does your collaboration with Tecnoseal work?
“We changed our filters, especially their lids, in order to make the use of the kit possible. Tecnoseal provides us with the anodes and the remote control unit which indicates the working status, the anode’s level of wear and the eventual necessity of a maintenance intervention. I like stressing our collaboration with Tecnoseal since it 
shows how important it is to ally and join forces, especially in the light of the great potential we have in Italy in this field”.
How is fouling reduced?
” The anode is inserted in the filter and linked to a controller by a normal electric cable, while another cable is connected to the body of the filter which acts as a cathode. At this point, we use a low-voltage current which will “wear” the anode by freeing copper particles. These last ones shall ensure the anti-fouling process.
How much does an anode last?
” About 6-8 months. In a word, a season. Anyway, the level wear is signaled on the control panel. Its replacement is very simple. Current must be always present, especially when the boat is stationary. The absence of water circulation increases the risk of fouling.
For what size of systems has the kit been designed?
” We envisage its use from 3/4 of inch on. It can be used on boats from 10 metres in length on. But, of course, it finds its best application on big yachts” .
In addition to the antifouling kit, METS was also the occasion for Guidi to exhibit a new series of sea cocks ( 1120 and 1120 F), designed to ensure a greater water capacity and a better passage of flows.
The elegant Guidi’s stand was designed by Anna Fileppo’s Studio and enriched by a wonderful silicone sail by Alessandro Ciffo (series Murano 5.0) which resembles sea waves, combined with some other smaller works of the same series.
At Mets, Guidi has finally revealed its latest financial results: in the first 9 months of 2016, turnover has increased by 10% than in 2015, while orders (on the Italian market) have increased by 15%.
