Offshore yank supply vessel Hadi 31 throughout current drydocking
Although maintaining capital investment in control might be a crucial factor to consider throughout system purchase, any kind of cost savings can rapidly disappear if affordable elements lead to a boost in unbudgeted functional expenses. That was the experience of Saudi Arabia- based ship driver Hadi Hamad Al-Hammam when the initial shaft seals fitted to Hadi 37, a 2013-built twin-screw offshore yank supply vessel (OTSV), started to leakage as well as shake, causing routine brows through to completely dry dock for expensive repair work.
To decrease the upkeep invest, the choice was reached to retrofit Thordon Bearings’ TG100 seals.
“The vessel’s existing arrangement did not perform as expected and for a vessel under charter to Saudi Arabian oil major Aramco, finding a system capable of reducing off-hire time was crucial,” stated Rafid Qureshi, Managing Director of Dubai- based design as well as technological solutions firmOcean Power International LLC.
“The company approached us to source a more cost-effective solution,” stated Qureshi.
“Hadi Hamad preferred the maintenance-free seal over other known brands. The costs of pulling a shaft and replacing a seal every 2.5 – 3 years, can go upwards of US$35,000 – $50,000 over the life of a vessel, which is well above the acquisition cost of a maintenance free alternative,” Qureshi proceeded. “The owner already had experience with Thordon products aboard the vessel – water lubricated XL propeller shaft and SXL rudder bearings fitted in 2013 as newbuild installations – so retrofitting the TG100 was an easy decision to make. We installed and commissioned a pair of 165 mm (6.5 inch) diameter seals at the Dubai Maritime City (DMC) drydock, in 2016.”
George Morrison, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager, stated: “Competitor manufacturers often offer of a low capital product, hoping to recuperate costs with after sales in a repair and maintenance market where replacement parts and components can be expensive. We tend not to focus on this market – an approach that reflects in the reliability and quality of our products.”
During Hadi 37‘s latest category study, Hadi Hamad Al-Hammam, which runs a fleet of over 40 vessels, located the seals to be in “excellent working order.”
Khalid Zahran, Engineering Manager for Hadi Hamad, stated: “We recently inspected the seals in dry dock and they were in perfect condition. We are highly satisfied with their performance.”
Since the installment, Ocean Power International states it has actually experienced raised rate of interest for Thordon’s bearings as well as seals for installment to newbuild jobs.
“They say bad news spreads like wildfire, but so too does good news,” statedQureshi “By word of mouth, there is a lot of interest in the region for Thordon products.”
The TG100 is a mechanical seal particularly created for 86 mm (3.375 inch) to 305 mm (12 inch) water moisturized prop shafts regular of workboats, digs up, pulls, private yachts, patrol crafts as well as various other seaside vessels running in either tidy or filthy, unpleasant waters.
The main seal utilizes durable, silicon carbide deals with as well as Thordon’s exclusive elastomeric bellows to supply an unrestricted life span contrasted to rubber-based bellows, which require regular substitute. It likewise includes an one-of-a-kind second seal with “Return to Port” ability. In the not likely occasion that the main securing surface area is harmed, this emergency situation feature enables the shaft to transform at lowered rate allowing the ship’s secure go back to port for repair work.
