For fishers and fisheries, replacing lost fishing gear is costly and income lost to ‘ghost fishing’ is irreplaceable. The smart Farallon Buoy by Blue Ocean Gear eliminates these issues, providing ‘real time’ tracking and monitoring of deployed fishing gear to anywhere in the world - land or sea - via mobile App or web interface.
Armed with sensors, the Farallon Buoy recognises when it is in or out of the water and alerts the user to anything unusual - equipment being dragged by a trawler, moved by a storm, or entangled. It sits atop of the water, attaches to a range of subsea fishing equipment, and works even when pulled underwater by strong currents.
“Our buoy is small and light enough to be stored inside a Dungeness crab or lobster pot, but durable enough to be bounced off the deck or whipped around by 20-foot Arctic seas,” says Peter Macy, chief business officer, Blue Ocean Gear. “It must be reliable, durable and perform in the harshest environments.”
To ensure reliability and durability, and optimise performance, Blue Ocean Gear’s Farallon Buoy is sealed with ZAGO Phillips pan head seal screws in titanium, engineered with Buna O-ring technology. ZAGO sealing screws differ from standard screws. They feature a custom groove under the head; when combined with a rubber O-ring and tightened forms a 360 degree leak proof, waterproof seal that will not break or crack under treacherous conditions. They are pollutant free and prevent contaminants, i.e precipitation, oil, bacteria, sand, dust, from leaking into and damaging equipment or leaking out into the environment.
“We chose a titanium seal screw because of its high resistance to saltwater corrosion and it’s lightweight yet strong,” says Macy. “We chose a Buna O-ring because of its resistance to saltwater and its vast temperature range, hot and cold. In addition to pressure resistance, we like that ZAGO seal screws are sustainable, reusable and can be unscrewed and retightened multiple times for end of season maintenance.”
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
