The month of June brought about some further changes to the business as we start to move back towards normality. The thruster project in the Caribbean is now complete, and our controls engineers have been busy attending service jobs around the UK. Our team of propeller technicians were also working on several propeller repairs at both of our African facilities.
Project Caribbean is Complete
Our project in collaboration with Subsea Global Solutions has come to its conclusion. After what has been nearly 4 months working on a 6 thruster overhaul under testing conditions, our team have arrived back home. Both of our engineers, Phil and Sean, have done extremely well under the circumstances and they are a credit to the company.
The images below showcase the repair process undertaken on one of the thrusters.
SMS partnered with DMC
This month we were delighted to announce our service partnership with Damen Marine Components. This agreement will see us provide service support to UK, Ireland, and African markets, supporting existing and prospective customers.
With over 150 years of experience, DMC has established a reputation for producing products that are advanced, high-quality and reliable. A brand that is synonymous with innovation in a global market.
Our Sales Director Ryan McIntyre added, “Damen Marine Components enjoy an enviable reputation in the market with an excellent range of products which include rudders, steering gear, control systems, winches, and nozzles. This strategic partnership represents a key step for our business with both organisations committed to working closely to serve the needs of vessel owners and ship management companies.”
On the subject of agency agreements…
Would you be interested in becoming an SMS service representative? As our network develops, we are inviting potential partners to join us on our journey. If you have strong connections within the maritime sector and enjoy an excellent reputation, we would like to hear from you.
African Propeller Repairs
Both our South African and Namibian workshops have been kept busy this month with several propeller repairs. One of our Namibian propeller technicians Ernesto was repairing and polishing a four-bladed fixed pitch propeller at our facility in Walvis Bay.
Upon arrival, the visual inspection of the propellers was concluded that all four blades were not up to specification and they all required refurbishment. We carried out an NDT inspection which revealed the cracks and cavitation. The damaged areas were then removed and before the welding could commence, a pre-heat treatment was administered to ensure the dryness of the base material and to reduce thermal stress.
Once the welding was completed, the blades were covered with thermal blankets to keep the molecular structure intact. We then got to work with grinding, profiling and shaping the blades. The job was concluded by polishing the propellers to ISO standards and statically balanced to avoid vibration on the shaft. Finally, a third party NDT inspection was carried out on the blades which resulted in a precise and well-executed repair. Our team of propeller experts are equipped to tackle any job.
SMS Engineers in Control
We have been up and down the country this month attending vessels in need of controls assistance. One of which was in Portsmouth, where we were tasked with a controls system investigation into an Aquapilot fault.
Our engineer carried out extensive fault finding checks and we noted that the fault was intermittent. We carried out further tests and inspections on the propulsion system which identified a sensor out of calibration. The sensor was then removed and re-calibrated. We carried out extensive sea trials and during this, no faults were presented. Upon arrival back alongside the fault was able to be replicated which proved the cause of the initial failure.
This resulted in another successful attendance from our team of skilled controls technicians.
Internal Controls Systems Training
At the end of the month, our service engineers completed an in-house training course on control system layout, function and setting. The course consisted of theory and practical sessions on our own controls simulator where our engineers can carry out fault finding, diagnosis and setting. This is the first in a series of training sessions, which will see our engineers skilled across a range of different disciplines.
The aim of the controls training sessions is to allow all of our engineers to be aware of all aspects of the service job. Therefore, we can supply one engineer that can carry out both the mechanical and the setting up of the control system following major overhauls in dry dock – consequently reducing the requirement to bring in another engineer at the end of the job.