Experimental Study of Sandwich Strength Materials Made from Banana Fiber, as Advance Materials of the Unmanned Mine Sweeper (UMS) Hull

Abstract

Mine countermeasures (MCM) is a sea operation that is very risky for personnel and material losses. The development of mine technology with the discovery of modern digital mines technology currently makes mine warfare strategies change, namely by relying on the unmanned minesweeper (UMS) as a mine detector, to mitigate the impacts and risks of sea mines on naval operations. UMS vessel size is 4.8m LoA, speed 2.57m/s and beam 2.24m. The main requirements for UMS are low magnetic, low vibration, and low hydrostatic. In this study, the author will make a sandwich material made from banana fibre as an Unmanned Mine Sweeper gastric material. The choice of banana fibre is because in addition to low magnetic, its availability is very abundant in Indonesia and the price is relatively cheaper than kevlar fibre. This study uses the technique of manufacturing vacuum assessed resin infusion (VARI). Then the strength test will be carried out with a tensile test, impact test and hardness test using the ASTM standard and compared with wood and fibre materials. The test results show that abaca banana fibre is capable of being used as an unmanned minesweeper hull material.