PT Samudera Luas Paramacitra (SLP) showcased its locally developed and manufactured ship-launching rubber airbag at INAMARINE 2026, highlighting Indonesia’s growing capability in marine and shipyard technology. Through its participation in the INAMARINE Expo 2026, held from July 28–30, 2026, at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo), Jakarta. At the exhibition, SLP participated in the IPERINDO Pavilion (Association of Indonesian Shipbuilding and Offshore Industries).
SLP showcased one of its flagship products, the SLP Ship Launching Rubber Airbag (“SLP Rubber Airbag”). This “Made in Cirebon” Rubber Airbag attracted considerable attention from exhibition visitors, particularly shipbuilding companies and shipyards from both Indonesia and overseas.
The SLP Rubber Airbag is a high-quality rubber product designed to support ship launching and ship lifting operations. With its ability to withstand heavy loads, high flexibility, and resistance to demanding marine and outdoor operating conditions, the Rubber Airbag offers an efficient and modern solution for shipbuilding and maritime industries.
One of the key advantages of this technology is its ability to operate without extensive permanent infrastructure. Unlike conventional launching and docking facilities such as permanent slipways, rail-based systems, and graving docks, Rubber Airbags allow docking operations to be carried out with simpler and more flexible infrastructure.
“With a properly prepared and suitably sloped launch or haul-out area, a shipyard can carry out vessel launching and recovery operations without relying on a permanent dry dock.” explained Adi Limansubroto, Director of PT Samudera Luas Paramacitra.
In addition to ship launching and hauling-out, SLP Rubber Airbags can be configured for vessel relocation and certain salvage operations, subject to project-specific engineering assessment.
“The main advantage of Rubber Airbags is their flexibility. When a docking system uses rails, slipways, or graving docks, the location is fixed. With Rubber Airbags, however, the docking location becomes much more flexible. This is highly beneficial for shipyards in Indonesia,” Adi added.
To meet the requirements of various types and sizes of vessels, SLP provides Rubber Airbags in a wide range of specifications, including:
- Diameter: 75 cm, 1 meter, 1.2 meters, 1.5 meters, 1.8 meters, and up to 2 meters.
- Length: 3 meters to 20 meters.
- Number of rubber plies: 5 to 12 layers of synthetic-tire-cord reinforcement, depending on vessel requirements and load capacity.
These variations allow SLP Rubber Airbags to be configured according to operational requirements and the specific characteristics of the vessel being handled.
Behind the development of the SLP Rubber Airbag lies an extensive research and development process conducted in collaboration with BPPT (the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology), which was subsequently integrated into BRIN from April 2017 to March 2019. As a result, the SLP Rubber Airbag became Indonesia’s first domestically developed and manufactured ship-launching airbag which are developed and tested with reference to international standard such as ISO 14409, demonstrating SLP’s commitment to developing maritime technology and reducing Indonesia’s dependence on imported products.
“This is our effort to reduce dependence on imported products and support the use of domestically manufactured technology. We encourage shipyards across Indonesia to support and use domestically manufactured products. Today, SLP Rubber Airbags have been used by shipyards across Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua,” said Adi.
