May 16, 2025. A film modeled on the skin of a shark now reduces drag on aircraft and thus the emission of climate-damaging carbon dioxide. BASF Coatings, a specialist in films and coatings based in Münster, has developed a high-tech film that has been used on 25 Boeing 777 and 747 aircraft since 2022. BASF Coatings uses the HANDYSURF+ portable surface measuring device from ACCRETECH to check the condition of the “NovaFlex SharkSkin” applied to the aircraft fuselages.
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Sharks are among the fastest swimmers of all. These cartilaginous fish can reach speeds of up to 70 km/h underwater. This is made possible, among other things, by the texture of their skin. It consists of scales with a grooved structure that reduces drag.
This is not a new discovery. But transferring it to airplanes is a real innovation. BASF Coatings spent five to six years developing the SharkSkin, which reduces drag and saves fuel and carbon dioxide emissions. Wind tunnel tests, computer simulations and tests around the fuselage of the aircraft models in question provided in-depth insights into aerodynamics and flow conditions as well as the requirements for the SharkSkin and its alignment on the aircraft. The result is a self-adhesive film with a ribbed or “riblet” structure. The riblets measure about as much in height as the diameter of a human hair. They are barely visible to the naked eye, but can be felt with a fingernail. In principle, riblets can be used wherever there are turbulent currents. For example, on trains, ships, cars, wind turbines, etc. Thanks to the new product, the Coatings Division was able to secure the BASF Innovation Award in 2024.
The riblets are applied to a carrier film during production in Münster. An additional layer protects the structure on the upper side and an adhesive film on the underside prepares the SharkSkin for use on the aircraft. Around 800 square meters are required to wrap a complete fuselage. When wrapping the aircraft, the workers must adhere meticulously to the cutting pattern before they cut the patches, which measure around one by half a meter, and carefully apply them to the fuselage of the aircraft by hand using a rubber squeegee. This is because the inflow angles are not the same everywhere. A patch attached at the wrong angle, for example, could increase consumption instead of reducing it.
The results are impressive: To date, a globally renowned airline has equipped a total of 25 Boeing 777 and 747 aircraft in scheduled and cargo service with the SharkSkin, saving around one percent kerosene. On a transatlantic flight between Germany and the USA, for example, 1.5 tons less fuel flows through the engines. This reduces emissions of the climate killer CO2 by an impressive 4.7 tons on just one flight. SWISS’s 12 Boeing 777s alone would be able to save 15,000 tons of kerosene annually with the “skin”, calculates Patrick Scherrer, Project Manager at SWISS. This is equivalent to the amount needed for 87 flights between Zurich and Mumbai in India.
During operation, the film is exposed to extreme stresses. The SharkSkin not only has to withstand dust, sand, water and de-icing agents. The film must also be able to withstand the enormous UV radiation. The deformation of the fuselage during flight also requires sufficient flexibility. The film must also be able to withstand the high temperature differences between the ground and the flight altitude. For example, take-off takes place in a desert country at 50 degrees Celsius, while at cruising altitude the fuselage is exposed to temperatures of around -60 degrees Celsius – and that at around 900 km/h.
As the film interferes with the aerodynamics of the aircraft, the resistance of the SharkSkin had to be proven in tests in order to obtain approval for use on the Boeing models. The aim is now to obtain approval for other aircraft types and to use the film on the wings. This will mean a further quantum leap and raise the savings potential of SharkSkin to the level of “winglets” – the vertical extensions at the end of most commercial aircraft wings. And they reduce fuel consumption and emissions by a good three percent.
Of course, the film on the aircraft needs to be checked regularly for damage and wear. Of course, it is not possible to check the condition of the riblets with the naked eye. On top of this, such an inspection always poses the challenge that it must be possible to carry it out at all points on the aircraft fuselage – including vertically or even overhead. Bulky and heavy measuring devices are therefore ruled out from the outset. This is why BASF Coatings relies on the reliable, accurate and universally applicable HANDYSURF+ surface measuring device from the renowned measuring equipment specialist ACCRETECH. The compact, portable device has been in successful use at BASF since 2020.
Marc Daniel from the Technical Development Aviation department at BASF Coatings is impressed by the HANDYSURF+. “The device is ready for use anywhere and at any time, is very easy to operate and measures extremely accurately,” says the technician. In the specific area of application, the roughness measurement is used as a measure of the quality of the riblets.
The HANDYSURF+ has a measuring range of 370 μm on the Z-axis – the largest in its class – and achieves a resolution of 0.0007 μm across the entire measuring range. The scope of delivery also includes the Excel macro “SupportWareII”, which enables the evaluation to be output in a report. The user can choose between 2µm and 5µm probe tips. In addition, ACCRETECH supplies the device with a Raunormal with two measuring surfaces including certificate, a plastic tray to position the measuring device correctly in relation to the Raunormal, a CD with instructions and SupportWareII as well as a carrying case.
BASF Coatings also uses the optional ACCTee software, with which measuring points can be read in and analyzed quickly and easily – with a module for roughness evaluation and another for measuring contours.
In a test run with devices from different suppliers, the ACCRETECH HANDYSURF+ proved to be the best for the application. What’s more, the device is also used in quality assurance for SharkSkin production. The HANDYSURF+ thus turns out to be an all-purpose weapon for high-tech film. And ACCRETECH is making a contribution to climate protection and a more sustainable future.
ACCRETECH (Europe) GmbH
Ralph Girardello
Landsberger Straße 396
81241 Munich
Germany
Phone +49 89 250064200
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👉 www.accretech.eu
👉 More information about our HANDYSURF+
Photo: ACCRETECH
