Trim Tabs vs Interceptors

Trim Tabs

vs

Hydrotab Interceptors

Find out what makes Hydrotab Interceptors far superior to conventional Trim Tabs!

Efficiency

Conventional Trim Tabs’ lift effect is applied in an angle relative to the hull, resulting in loss of lifting force and substancial drag. The sharp but minor (few mm) deployment of Interceptors ensures a greater lift force, vertical to the hull and less drag!

Trim Tabs:

Interceptors:

Response Time

Trim tabs are slow and as a result can’t keep up with the rolling frequency of the ship, reducing automatic stabilization potential

Interceptors are much faster than trim tabs and can quickly adjust to the rolling of the ship and automatically stabilize the boat instantly!

Trim tabs, after short periods at sea, create extra drag due to marine and barnacle growth accumulated on their working surface.

Operation and performance of Hydrotab Interceptors are not affected by barnacle growth since body of interceptor is behind the transom away from water flow.

Hydrotab further innovates by introducing the SR Interceptors – The composite body, robust Interceptors that prevent fouling build-up completely!

Robustness

The sturdy and compact body combined with massive force developed and evenly distributed on the blades (10-20Kgrs/cm) makes interceptors virtually indestructible.
Even in situations of extreme marine and barnacle growth, the blades continue to operate reliably without blocking. High moving forces developed on blades due to pressure of the air-chamber, together with the compact body, make interceptors extremely resilient to hits and bumps with floating objects.

Trim tab geometry allows uneven distribution of force, resulting in disformation and warping of plates, reducing trim ability, creating instabillity onboard and finally damaging tabs themselves.

The massive force of deployment of Hydrotab interceptor created by the air-chamber as it expands, is evenly distributed along the blade, therefore making interceptors very resilient in hard conditions of the open sea (barnacle growth, hits and bumps with floating objects, etc).

Traditional trim tabs rely on hydraulic or electric actuators to extend, which can often easily fail under the hard sea-water conditions. Actuators are also quite week and slow to move the plates efficiently in order to effectively trim and stabilize the boat. Hydrotab interceptors do not include sensitive or rotating parts (motors, gears, shafts, hydraulic or other electric components) in their mechanism, therefore making them highly reliable. At the same time, the high shifting forces applied on the blades (created by a small pressure of 2.5bar ) assure that operation will be continuous without blocking.

When backing up, Trim Tabs make it hard to control the boat and are vulnerable to breaking.

In harsh conditions, trim tabs can be stressed to the point of the mechanism being completely destroyed.

Overall Technical Comparison

Trim Tabs:

Interceptors:

Environmental

Hydraulic Trim Tabs leak harmfull hydraulic oils into the sea in case of cylinder seal failure due to fouling.

Since the interceptors operate using compressed air, they do not pollute the marine environment with harmful chemicals.

Design and Installation

Hydrotab’s Interceptors offer a stylish and easy solution to boat stabilizing. Trim tabs are bulky, protrude from the hull and their installation is complicated and takes quite a long time. Interceptors sport a very eye catching look and their compact design makes them seamlessly blend in any hull!