Tokyo – The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that its Seaflex STS Hose used in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of crude oil has been certified by Lloyd’s Register as meeting two key international standards. The first is the British Standards Institution’s criteria for “Rubber hose assemblies for oil suction and discharge services. Specification for the assemblies” (BS EN 1765: 2004). The second is the European Committee for Standardization’s standard for hoses that must be “electrically conductive incorporating a semi-conductive cover compound” as per Sec. 9.2 of EN ISO 1825-2011, which concerns “Rubber hoses and hose assemblies for aircraft ground fuelling and defuelling—Specification—ISO 1825: 2010”. STS hoses are subject to severe usage conditions and must meet strict safety requirements, including for durability and fire prevention. The receipt of certifications for meeting these two international standards further raises the reliability of Yokohama Rubber’s Seaflex STS hoses.

Seaflex STS hoses are used during the transfer of crude oil between tankers at sea. STS hoses usually have a spiral steel wire embedded inside the rubber layer in order to increase durability. However, Yokohama Rubber’s STS hoses achieve superior durability with a wire-free construction. As a result, the hoses are lighter and easier to use than other STS hoses.

Established in 1917, Yokohama Rubber is a leading Japanese maker of automotive tires. Over the years, the Company has diversified its business by leveraging the high-polymer technologies accumulated in tire development to offer a wide range of products that includes sealants, adhesives, and industrial materials. Today, Yokohama Rubber is one of the world’s leading makers of pneumatic fenders and marine hoses. To further boost its sales of both products, the Company has begun construction on the island of Batam in Indonesia of a new plant and acquired an Italian marine hose manufacturer in September 2014.