Page 57: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2023)

Tech Files

Tools

MarineShaft Resolves Shaft Bearing Failure

A chemical tanker suffered a bearing failure off the coast of Sweden, and subsequently the ship was towed to Denmark and lay at anchorage of Skagen.

Danish-based mechanical machine workshop MarineShaft, which specializes in class-approved cold straightening of bent shafts and rudder stocks, was called and dispatched two technicians onboard to dismantle and remove the damaged inter-

Techcross mediate shaft bearing. The following morning the vessel was towed to a lay-by

BWMS Re? t Saves 20% berth and the bearing was sent to MarineShaft workshop in Hirtshals. In-house,

Techcross installed a BWMS in the the re-metaling of white metal in the split engine room of an existing tanker using intermediate shaft bearing began, and once its patented “Engine Room Solution." the in-house repair was completed, Marine-

To date, it has been applied only to new

Shaft delivered the bearing back to the ves- ships. One set of ECS 1000B model was sel, working to re-install and test the repair. installed on the 50,400 PC tanker owned

MarineShaft attended a successful sea trial, by Horizon Tankers Limited S.A. using and the repair was class-approved by ABS.

Techcross’ solution. This solution can

This job (from disassembling to installation help reduce more than 20% of purchas- and ? nal sea trial) was done in eight days. ing and installation costs. Moreover, a

MarineShaft has the capacity for centrifu- noteworthy point is that by removing gal casting of up to 400 kg of white metal. the pipes installed for ? ow measurement

The white metal is melted using a purpose- during deballasting and leaving only built crucible furnace, and the centrifugal the sampling lines, which makes it pos- casting is carried out with the bearing placed sible to achieve an additional cost sav- in a lathe. ings of 2~30% in installation. www.marineshaft.com

MarineShaft www.techcross.com

Mobile, Robiotic Welding for Shipbuilding

Italian companies Comau and Fincantieri presented the ? rst result of their joint collaboration with Automatica: MR4Weld (Mobile Robot for Weld), a mobile robot, an innovative outdoor automation solution, designed to improve the quality, performance and well-being of operators during labor-intensive welding activities.

The MR4Weld mobile robot is being tested and will be used in the Fincantieri

Glamox shipyards to autonomously weld steel structures, with the possibility of increasing

Glamox Lights Substation operations up to to 3 times compared to a manual process, the companies project.

This giant structure is one of three

The system features a high payload 6-axis articulated robot, equipped with a offshore high-voltage direct current sub- welding torch installed on stations being built for Dogger Bank, a tracked undercarriage and the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with an integrated vision sys- located off the North East coast of Eng- tem to autonomously identify land. This ? rst substation is pictured in weld joints. It is designed to the dock at Haugesund, Norway, where provide a better weld quality it was ? tted with more than 640 special- with improved ergonomics.

ist marine LED luminaires, ahead of its

MR4Weld is designed to be transportation to Dogger Bank A in the managed by a single operator

North Sea, where it is now in location during transfer and welding and being prepared for the start of opera- activities. The system also tions. Glamox, a world leader in light- uses digital tools to collect ing, won the order from Aibel to light welding and manufacturing

Dogger Bank A, B, and C substations. data, which can be used to www.glamox.com track weld joints.

Comau, Fincantieri www.marinelink.com 57

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