After years supporting offshore materials and technology validation activities, the original HarshLab 1.0 platform has been given a second life at the Port of Bilbao through the deployment of DANTE (Dynamic Antifouling TEsting Rig), an innovative testing device developed by TECNALIA for the realistic assessment of antifouling coatings.
Antifouling coatings used in vessels are exposed to much more complex operating conditions than those experienced by static offshore structures. During their lifetime, ships alternate between navigation periods and stationary periods in port or at anchorage. Reproducing these conditions is essential to accurately evaluate coating performance.
DANTE has been specifically designed to bridge this gap by providing a more representative testing environment than traditional laboratory methods or static exposure racks. The system alternates between stationary periods, during which marine organisms can attach to the coated surfaces, and dynamic motion cycles that simulate vessel operation, allowing researchers to assess the coating’s ability to prevent or release marine growth under realistic conditions.
Unique Testing Capabilities
DANTE offers coating developers and the maritime industry the possibility to:
- Evaluate antifouling coatings under realistic dynamic marine conditions.
- Combine static exposure and simulated navigation cycles within a single testing platform.
- Assess biofouling attachment and release mechanisms more accurately than with conventional static tests.
- Generate reliable performance data to support product development and certification processes.
- Accelerate the market deployment of innovative coating technologies for the maritime sector.
