Ship Parts

U.S. Labor Seeks Ban on Some Foreign Ship Parts

The Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO has sued the U.S. Coast Guard over allowing domestic shipyards to use preassembled foreign ship parts and engines, Ron Ault, president of the MTD, said on Tuesday. Preassembled ship parts require little or no assembly at U.S. shipyards, and cut the need for U.S. labor at these yards, he told Reuters in an interview. MTD, a trade department of the American federation of labor unions, coordinates negotiating, organizing and legislative efforts of affiliated metal-working and related crafts and trade unions. Angela McArdle, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman, said it was the Coast Guard's policy not to comment on pending litigation. MTD's suit, filed late last week in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, charges that a ruling issued on May 24, 2006, and affirmed on Nov. 15 by the National Vessel Documentation Center ignores the requirements of the Jones Act which stipulate that ships moving between U.S. ports must be "built in" the United States. The rulings authorized plans by Aker Shipyards Philadelphia and NASSCO, a division of General Dynamics , to produce about 22 new 45,000-ton capacity oil product tankers that are assembled from thousands of parts and modules imported from South Korea, he said. Source: Reuters

Wartsila Chosen to Supply "Bangkok-Max" Container Ships

Wärtsilä will supply the main engines for the first series of eight "Bangkok-max" container ships being built at the Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard in China. The ships, ordered in June, will serve as feeder vessels in Asian waters. The scope of supply includes eight Wärtsilä RT-flex60C main engines, which will be built by a Wärtsilä licensee, Hudong Heavy Machinery (HHM), based in Shanghai

FDGM Awarded U.S. Navy DVD Contract For Mine Warfare Fleet

FDGM, the Northern Virginia subsidiary of Italian engine manufacturer Isotta Fraschini, has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract to supply spare parts items for the non-magnetic diesel engines in the U.S. Navy mine sweeper fleet. Managed by Defense Supply Center in Columbus, Ohio, the contract also includes spare parts items for Defense Logistics Agencies in Richmond and Philadelphia, as well as the Navy Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) in Mechanicsburg, PA

Detroit Diesel, Volvo Penta Collaboration Concludes

Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) and Volvo Penta of the Americas (VPA) have announced a mutual agreement to conclude their successful four-year collaboration which provided Detroit Diesel distribution rights for Compact and 6-16 liter inboard diesel engines and parts in North America. Effective February 1, 1999, Compact diesel inboard engines from 10-102 horsepower as well as 6-16 liter diesel inboard engines from 318-770 horsepower were transitioned back to VPA for engine, parts, sales

MARAD Releases Report on E-Seals

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) released the voluminous two-part report evaluating electronic seals for use on cargo containers. The analysis was conducted on behalf of the Cargo Handling Cooperative Program and evaluated the operation of four selected radio frequency (RF) based e-seals and one non-RF e-seal. The goal was to develop a technical baseline that could help stakeholders select appropriate solutions to security, operational, and economic requirements

HMCS Charlottetown Assists Vessel off Somalia Coast

Official U.S. Navy file photo of Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339). From Combined Task Force 150 Public Affairs Canadian multi-patrol frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) provided assistance to five mariners adrift on a stranded vessel in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. Upon approaching the vessel as part of routine Maritime Security Operations (MSO), the crew of Charlottetown noticed the vessel had been stranded without food, water or fuel

USCG Requests Charterer Information on NOA Requests Reports

The Coast Guard has amended its Notice of Arrival (NOA) regulations to require the owner, master, operator, agent or person in charge of a vessel required to submit an NOA report to identify the charterer of the vessel. This new requirement takes effect September 18. The Coast Guard will use the vessel charterer information to identify charterers associated with substandard vessels as part of the Port State Control program. As part of the new

Wärtsilä to Acquire DEUTZ Marine Engine Service

Wärtsilä will acquire the assets of the German DEUTZ AG's medium and large marine engine service business. The acquisition price is EUR 115 million. The deal is earnings enhancing for Wärtsilä in 2005. The business consists of original spare parts sales, repair and maintenance for DEUTZ medium and large marine diesel engines. This deal will increase the installed engine base for Wärtsilä Service by 12,500 MW or by 9%. Today Wärtsilä's installed engine base is 130,000 MW.

Seven Shipbuilding R&D Projects get Greenlight

(Photo: Courtesy Northrop Grumman Newport News) The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (NSRP ASE) selected seven new research projects as part of the Navy/Industry co-funded portfolio. The seven new projects, valued at approximately $20 million including industry cost share, were in response to the latest NSRP ASE solicitation released in February and continue the successful implementation of the Program’s Strategic

New Ship Noise, Vibration Guidelines from ClassNK

ClassNK released its new Noise and Vibration Guideline for measuring and evaluating the noise and vibration on ships. The new Guideline address the growing demand for new standards for noise and vibration on commercial vessels and provides detailed requirements for measuring and evaluating noise and vibrations in crew accommodations and machinery rooms, as well as establishes new notations for ships that comply with the new requirements.