DAME Design Awards 2015: Category winner

At the 2015 DAME Design Awards, held at Metstrade in Amsterdam, the TruDesign Load Bearing Collar won the category for Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials. It was one of seven category winners chosen from 110 entries, in the competition's 25th year.

The collar fits over a TruDesign skin fitting and ball valve. With it in place, the skin fitting, ball valve and hose tail assembly withstands a 227 kg (500 lb) static load on the hose tail for at least 30 seconds: the load test in ABYC H-27, the North American standard for seacocks, thru-hull fittings and drain plugs. It does this without extra bolts or fasteners through the hull, which traditional flanged bronze seacocks rely on.

For 1" assemblies, the collar is what brings the assembly to the ABYC 500 lb load. TruDesign 1¼", 1½" and 2" skin fittings meet it on their own; on those sizes a collar adds strength and protects the exposed thread. ½" and ¾" assemblies are not rated to the ABYC load test. Meeting ABYC H-27 opened the North American market to TruDesign's composite skin fittings and ball valves.