Shaped tubing solutions for the marine industry
At Righton Blackburns we understand how important it is to create visually appealing but durable metal architecture that can withstand an uncompromising marine environment.
From stunning staircases on super-yachts to grab rails on speedboats, our shaped stainless steel tubes offer the marine industry aesthetic, structural and ergonomic advantages over standard round tubing.
Popular marine applications include:
- Handrails
- Grab rails
- Balustrades
- Awnings
- Furniture
- Kick rails
- Boarding ladders
- Barware
Why Choose Shaped Tubing?
We offer tubing in six different shapes; each design has different properties, with profiles such as oval tubing offering significant advantages over standard round tubing.
For example, D-shaped tube has a smooth top and flat section on the underside that allows water to flow off it, preventing water ingress, which means that it is easier to maintain. Ideal as handrail, its distinctive ridged design creates a flat and secure base, which fixes easily to bulwarks and balustrades.
Twisted oval tube boasts attractive contours that catch the light beautifully, and make for stunning spindles on staircases.
Safety
Shaped railings are safer than round tube railings because they are easier to grip. Our grab rails are typically shaped from oval tubing and square radius tubing — hands fit comfortably and securely around these shapes (and unlike round tube, hands are not prone to the same degree of slippage).
Similarly, oval tube boarding ladders are more comfortable to climb and offer better grip than round tube ladders.
Corrosion Resistance
Harsh environmental conditions like salt water and constant sun mean that the selection of alloy is critical for marine projects. We make most of our exterior tubing from premium-grade stainless steel 316L (1.4404), which contains a higher nickel and molybdenum content for greater corrosive resistance. The higher corrosion resistance and higher yield strengths of these alloys allow them to withstand far more punishment than the average carbon alloy.
Stainless steel has good weldability and formability, and is scaling resistant. Easy to clean and with strong visual appeal, it is the ideal material for handrails, grab rails, deck fittings, balustrades and furniture.
Greater Choice
Refit or refurbishment, brand-new boat design or prototype, the uniquely shaped tubing is a simple way of offering you or your clients greater choice when it comes to the design of the yacht. Our engineers will work hard to fabricate tubing of any size to meet your needs – even if this requires us to make new tooling.
We can also form tubing from bronze or brass, or apply PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) titanium ion plating to create a brass-effect – or other colours – to stainless steel. If you like traditional teak wood but want to enjoy the properties of aluminium or stainless steel, we can powder coat the tubing with a teak wood-effect.
