Technology Leaders

 

The world of technology never sleeps. Developing new technology in the marine setting is producing new efficiencies in parts' production and ships' systems. Included in that are pumps for water control and energy consumption, alternative fuels and wastewater, and a wide range of other uses.

Then there are valves that are vital to the performance of any vessel, and piping systems which are the fluid carriers for the ship. The list goes on, and the innovations multiply.

3D PRINTING

Lincoln Electric, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a global leader in the engineering, design and manufacture of advanced arc welding solutions, automated joining, assembly and cutting systems, plasma and oxy-fuel cutting equipment and brazing and soldering alloys. Dubbed the Welding Expert™ for its leading materials science, software development, automation engineering and application expertise, it's a well-deserved appellation.

In particular, the company has made impressive strides in 3D printing technology, especially in the marine sector.

"The business has progressed nicely and the market continues to grow rapidly as more customers, particularly in maritime defense, realize the benefits afforded by 3D metal printing and that the technology is manufacturing ready now," says Mark Douglass, Business Development Manager. "It's not a research project but fully capable of providing high-quality parts for challenging applications."

Applications have expanded on the margin as more companies explore 3D printing, but Douglass thinks the market growth in the near term is driven by companies adopting the technology for the many applications that have already been identified: "We believe the market is still in the early adoption stage and there's still significant 'evangelism' that needs to take place."

Lincoln is making strides with a number of marine customers in getting 3D printed parts approved for use, which, as more companies see it successfully used, provides greater confidence within the industry to adopt its use. "We think it will continue to snowball," Douglass states.

The main value proposition in the 3D printing of parts such as pump casings and valve bodies is a substantial saving in delivery times – as much as 80 percent compared to castings and forgings. Douglass says this is an important consideration in both replacement parts and new construction, particularly with the U.S. Navy, which has been touting the importance of improved scheduling via 3D printing.

"There are case studies with customers in which the 3D printed parts had substantially higher quality than castings of the same parts," Douglass adds. "So not only does 3D printing have the potential to drastically reduce initial lead time, it can also reduce – or even eliminate – downstream repair costs because of improved firsttime quality."

Recently, Lincoln Electric was awarded the Technical Achievement Award for 3D Printing Innovation by the Defense Strategies Institute in Washington, D.C. Lincoln and its partners were recognized for their use of large-scale 3D metal printing technology in lieu of casting to produce a replacement part for a ship arrestor system at the Poe Lock, a vital part of one of the nation's most important shipping routes. Poe Lock is part of the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

In response to the urgent need, the U.S. Army's Corps of Engineers and Engineer Research & Development Center partnered with Lincoln to produce a replacement part using the company's 3D metal printing technology. Lincoln produced the steel lever arm in three months, an 84 percent reduction in lead time. It's the largest U.S. civil works component ever produced with 3D printing.

VALVES & PIPES

JA Moody, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has been producing valves for over five decades. The company says it's positioned itself as a "trusted partner in providing innovative fluid control solutions to the U.S. Navy."

Nearly two decades ago, Moody introduced the Vanessa Triple Offset Valve to the U.S. Navy, a vital product for severe service applications. Today, it's once again leading the way by bringing Curtiss-Wright's groundbreaking Dilating Disk Valve (DDV) to the maritime industry.

"The DDV is revolutionizing fluid control systems with its innovative design, offering unparalleled efficiency, weight reduction and cost savings," the company says. "Built to meet MIL-DTL-32632 standards, the DDV's rotary petal mechanism ensures superior flow efficiency, eliminating turbulence and minimizing energy consumption."

Adds Moody's CEO, Lisa Smith, "When compared to traditional globe valves, the DDV significantly reduces size, weight, noise and operational torque, making it the ideal choice for naval applications and shipbuilders looking to optimize system performance while cutting costs."

With its plug-and-play capability, the DDV allows for seamless retrofits while its compact, durable design contributes to stealthier, more agile and energy-efficient operations. Offering potential energy savings of over 50 percent, the DDV is poised to set a new standard in fluid-handling technology.

Technology has also infiltrated piping systems, which are the veins that keep vital fluids flowing in ships. Recently, the Swedish Maritime Administration decided to replace the steel pipes in the jet thrusters of the Oden, the world's largest diesel-electric icebreaker, due to corrosion issues. A complete solution for the task was provided by GF Piping Systems, which carried out extensive engineering services to enable a cost-efficient retrofit with 200 meters of DN1000 thermoplastic piping components, 100 electrofusion fittings and couplers made of PE100.

The thermoplastic pipes are corrosion-proof and therefore have a longer expected service life compared to metal while smooth inner surfaces allow the same flow volume as metal pipes in larger dimensions.

"This project perfectly encapsulates our vision for the marine sector," notes Staffan Magnuson, Sales Manager, Marine. "We replaced an aging steel piping system with a corrosion-free thermoplastic alternative, and we were able to maximize the performance and longevity of the system thanks to our Specialized Solutions program. In addition, this project was special for us as it involved the largest pipe dimensions we've ever supplied for a vessel."

As one of the most powerful non-nuclear vessels of its type, the Oden is active throughout the Baltic Sea during winter. For the rest of the year, it serves as a research platform for Swedish polar expeditions in the Arctic. To meet high operational demands, it was designed to be highly maneuverable and to use jet thrusters to spray high-pressure water onto the ice to reduce friction at the bow, thus increasing its energy efficiency.

LIGNUM VITAE BEARINGS

Anglo-Irish writer and satirist Jonathan Swift once said, "Everything old is new again." That comment may well apply to lignum vitae, widely accepted as the world's hardest wood and used for making self-lubricating bearings for the marine sector.

The first bearing successfully made of lignum vitae was patented by John Penn in 1854. Penn, a marine engineer, introduced water-lubricated lignum vitae bearings when the industry went from sailing vessels to screw and propeller vessels. There was no bearing to support the shaft, and after trying various things, lignum vitae was put into a stern tube and worked, says Bob Shortridge, President, Lignum Vitae Norh America.

"It became a standard of the industry all the way up to World War II," he adds, speaking from a Great Lakes' shipyard where he was working on a freighter. Lignum vitae bearings were used exclusively in the U.S. fleet to prevent the threat of losing a rubber seal and losing oil and, therefore, propulsion.

With the global industry looking to be more environmentally friendly, Shortridge sees a huge market for his products unfolding. Being asked to provide an all-natural, water-lubricated bearing "feels like things are returning back to full circle."

With lead and asbestos all taboo now, everyone is looking for something reliable, long-lasting and environmentally correct. It must be less polluting but more robust for monstrous pieces of equipment.

"We've done an aircraft carrier twice, and this is the third Great Lakes carrier we've worked on," he adds. "Life expectancy of the bearings depends on the machine but is generally 10 to 20 years."

Tom Peters writes from Halifax, Nova Scotia.