Mercury Marine was awarded the IBEX Innovation Award for Propulsion Parts/Propellers for its Flo-Torq SSR-HD here Tuesday, the first day of the 2015 International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference.
MotorGuide, a Mercury company, also took top honors in the Outboard category for its new MotorGuide X5 trolling motor with VRS.
Also during the Innovation Awards event, Mercury was the only marine engine company to receive Consumer Service Index Awards in three categories: Outboards, Sterndrives and Inboards.
Mercury launched the Flo-Torq SSR HD – a propeller hub system designed to improve shift noise and vibration on high-horsepower outboards that use a heavy-duty 1.25-inch propeller shaft in late July. The new hub system is the first of its kind to employ Mercury’s new SSR technology. SSR stands for Soft Shift Rubber, which delivers a 25 percent improvement in shift noise and vibration during shifting events. The SSR hub delivers these benefits without sacrificing the strength and durability of a solid hub designed for high-performance marine engines.
The SSR is founded on a traditional solid steel hub, but adds a bonded rubber sleeve to one end of the hub that provides cushioning to the system. The bonded rubber sleeve cushions the propeller during shifting events, absorbing shock and vibration. As soon as the propeller is under load, the stainless steel end of the hub engages the core of the propeller, creating a solid hub that can reliably transfer the significant power generated by today’s FourStroke outboards.
“Propeller hubs are an integral part of the full marine propulsion system,†said Jared Reichenberger, brand manager for Mercury Propellers. “This product provides the strength of a durable solid hub with the cushioning of a rubber hub for quiet operation. It is a win-win for boaters – particularly those with high-horsepower Verado engines like our 350 and 400R.â€
The Flo-Torq SSR HD hub can be purchased at all Mercury dealers.
