Anti-Piracy barriers for maritime industry win the Horners Award 2015

An anti-piracy barrier for use in the maritime industry has been revealed as the winner of the 2015 Horners Award for Plastics Design and Innovation.

The GUARDIAN Anti-Piracy Barrier, developed by Guardian Maritime Limited, is made from a UV stabilised grade of Total 4041, a new generation Metallocene polymer, suitable for large rotational mouldings.

The judges were impressed by the relatively simple design, which acts both as a visual and physical deterrent and can be tailored to fit any vessel and oil rigs.

The product is an industry compliant system and provides 24/7 protection against stowaways, robbery and piracy. It is believed to be the only “undefeated” passive anti-piracy deterrent.

Teresa Stevens of Guardian Maritime Limited, said: “I am very proud to have been chosen for this award from the Guild of Horners, being recognised by such an esteemed guild is a great honour. I would like to thank all those who have helped with the development of GUARDIAN™.”

The judges also nominated the ‘Expanding Horizons in Reconstructive Surgery’ developed by Oxtex as the award runner up. Two surgeons, who continuously found a need for extra soft tissue, collaborated with the Department of materials at Oxford University to develop a hydrogel polymer technology.

The self-inflating Oxtex device combats all the limitations of the current commercial devices. Additionally, the Oxtex device can be produced in a range of different shapes and sizes for different anatomical locations.

The Horners Award is jointly run by the Worshipful Company of Horners (an ancient guild and livery company of the City of London) and the British Plastics Federation. It is awarded annually for entries demonstrating innovation in plastics design and manufacture or in the processing of plastics.