The National Marine Dredging Company has actually changed the rubber cutter shaft bearings on the 89m dredger Al Khatem, noting an action better to the Abu Dhabi- based digging up firm’s fleet-wide conversion to Thordon Bearings’ salt water lubed Composite cutterhead bearings as well as cutterhead intermediate lineshaft bearings.
The 1979-built Al Khatem is the current sturdy cutter suction dredger NMDC has actually transformed to the Thordon remedy, adhering to the success of comparable conversions to the Al Sadr, Al Mirfa, Al Hamra, Umm Al Zemoul, Umm Al Anber as well as the beaver Dredge 2.
Three a lot more beaver dredgers Embarka 2, Embarka 5 as well as Embarka 6 are arranged for conversion at an Egyptian backyard later on this year.
Ayman Saad, Director, Ocean Power International LLC, Thordon’s representative in the area, stated: “NMDC – one of the world’s leading dredging companies with a fleet of more than 90 vessels – has established a strong reputation for delivering high quality projects and services. It is nice to think that Thordon’s seawater lubricated Composite cutterhead shaft bearings have played an important role in that success.”
Since the very first bearing conversion in the 1990s, the toughness as well as through-life efficiency of Thordon’s Composite bearings have actually shown to decrease NMDC’s vessel operating expense. This is mainly since the elastomeric polymer bearing does not need any type of lubricating oil, decreases vessel downtime as well as expands time in between bearing substitute.
Commenting on their efficiency, NMDCTechnical Director Mr Mohamad Al Sayed stated:“Thordon’s Composite is the best bearing material invented. It gives you peace of mind when dredgers are operating 24/7.”
Senior Technical Manager Mr Ashraf Sohad concurred: “The bearings just do not wear out, even after ten years of continuous operation.”
Over the previous twenty years, Ocean Power International, which supplies 24/7 design assistance for cutter shaft as well as intermediate shaft fixing as well as upkeep assistance to NMDC, has actually transformed every one of the firm’s cutter shaft bearings to the Thordon salt water moisturized system.
“Thordon’s Composite bearing is the preferred choice of bearing for NMDC dredgers and there is no compromise when it comes to the cutter shaft bearings,” stated NMDCFleet Manager Mr Mohamad Fawzy.
“They are easy to machine and install and bearing wear rate is minimum compared to other products. There is an infinite shelf life and that’s the reason we keep one set of spare bearings in the warehouse for emergency backup,” he stated.
George Morrison, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager, EMEA ANZ, stated: “Composite seawater lubricated bearing wear rates in the abrasive conditions most dredgers operate in are typically half that of rubber bearings, reducing maintenance downtime over the life of the vessel.”
With the introduction of a lot more strict ecological laws most dredgers are currently fitted with salt water moisturized cutterhead shaft as well as intermediate ladder bearings to alleviate versus the danger of contaminating environmentally delicate atmospheres.
Following greater than twenty years’ experience with Thordon’s cutter shaft bearings, NMDC is currently taking into consideration the firm’s salt water lubed cutterhead intermediate lineshaft bearings for a number of newbuild tasks.
Sea News, November 13
