In Various Product News

Hydra Service, manufacturer of Dynapower pumps, motors and turbine starters, announced it has been purchased by a local manufacturing investment group led by Mick Webber. According to the company, the new ownership and existing management are committed to servicing and replacing old equipment, developing new products, opening channels to market, and attracting different customer segments.“When I started Hydra Service in 1981, we were a four-man shop that primarily serviced oilfield equipment,” said former owner Rick Bentley.

Rolls-Royce has delivered the first 16-cylinder engines of the mtu Series 8000, two 16V 8000 M71L engines built for the Taiwanese shipyard CSBC Corporation to power new patrol vessels for the Taiwanese Coast Guard. The two engines deliver 7,280 kW of power each and will accelerate the 1000-ton class vessels to up to 24 knots. A total of six vessels of this class will be built with mtu engines, and the engines will be delivered by the end of 2022. Rolls-Royce said it has also already sold an additional 20 engines of the new type to a second customer.

For more than two years, Becker Marine Systems has been represented by a branch office in Houston. During this time, the Hamburg-based ship supplier has worked to position itself in the North American market, generating numerous orders for the company’s various product ranges. “We have been able to significantly improve the degree of familiarity with Becker throughout the North American region and in the meantime have received a number of new orders“, said Walther Bauer, Director of Sales & Projects at Becker Marine Systems.

Navig8 Product Tankers Inc., today announced that it has taken delivery of two further product tankers from its newbuilding program – the Navig8 Symphony, a 110,000 DWT LR2 tanker from Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. and the Navig8 Exceed, a 74,000 DWT LR1 tanker from STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The Navig8 Symphony and the Navig8 Exceed will operate in Navig8 Group’s Alpha8 and LR8 commercial pools respectively. Thus far the Company has taken delivery of four LR1 and four LR2 product tanker newbuildings and anticipates that its entire newbuilding fleet will be delivered by the end of 2016. Navig8 Product Tankers maintains an orderbook of long-range (LR), eco-design product tankers, comprising 15 LR2 and 12 LR1 vessels.

Navig8 Product Tankers Inc., an international shipping company focused on the transportation of petroleum products, has taken delivery of one LR1 74,000 DWT product tanker, the Navig8 Expedite, from STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co, Ltd. The vessel will be entered into and operated in the LR8 commercial pool operated by the Navig8 Group. Thus far the Company has taken delivery of three LR1 and two LR2 product tankers newbuildings and anticipates that its entire newbuilding fleet will be delivered by the end of 2016. Navig8 Product Tankers recently entered into an amended loan facility for USD 128.5 million with Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank (CACIB) and BNP Paribas to provide additional financing for LR1 74,000 DWT product tankers being built at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co.

Following the go-ahead from antitrust authorities, on December 1, 2015 ZF has officially taken over the industrial gears and wind turbine gearbox business from Bosch Rexroth AG. With this, some 1,200 employees altogether at the Witten, Beijing and Lake Zurich (USA) locations will thus join the technology company. The purchase price has not been disclosed. For ZF, the acquisition is an entry into the business with large industrial gears that are used in oil rigs, mine vehicles, tunnel drilling machines, or cableways, for instance.

Huisman announced that André Meijer is appointed as CEO, effective August 1, 2015. This appointment follows the decision of Joop Roodenburg to step down as the company’s CEO this year to the CTO position. From his new position as CTO, Roodenburg will remain a member of the board and will now be able to fully focus on technical innovation for the company’s various product groups, Huisman said. Furthermore, to continuously develop the company’s link with clients, Roodenburg will also continue to lead the sales and concepts group.

To maintain the continuous availability of its wide range of built-for-stock vessels, Damen Shipyards Group is currently shipping a diverse cargo of 16 new pontoons and tugs, as well as numerous modular barges, from China to the Netherlands. The latest shipment represents cooperation between Damen’s various product divisions and numerous local partners in China, the shipbuilder said. To perform the shipment, Damen mobilized ZPMC’s Zhen Hua 28. The 232-meter semisubmersible vessel left Nantong, China at the beginning of January and is due to arrive in Rotterdam at the beginning of March.

Wärtsilä Corporation is to acquire L-3 Marine Systems International from NYSE-listed L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. L-3 Marine Systems International (L-3 MSI) is a business sector within L-3’s Electronic Systems business segment primarily focused on the commercial ship industry. The transaction is valued at MEUR 285 (enterprise value), subject to customary adjustments including an estimated reduction of MEUR 60 for L-3 MSI employee pension-related liabilities to be assumed by Wärtsilä Corporation. Financing for the deal will be from existing cash resources and credit facilities. The acquisition is subject to clearance from the regulatory authorities. The acquisition is expected to be closed during the second quarter of 2015.

ZF Marine Propulsion kicked off day 1 of SMM 2014 in Hamburg by introducing the new workboat transmission family – ZF W 10000 – enhancing the range of ToughGear series transmissions. The new family is designed specifically for the commercial craft segment. “We spent a lot of time talking to the market, but more importantly, listening to the market,” said ZF Marine’s André Körner, Head of Product Line, Commercial and Fast Craft. The W10000 is rated to 2,610kW (3,500hp) at 2,100rpm, and its compact design increases power density compared to the current offerings.

ZF Marine Propulsion today introduced the new workboat transmission family ZF W 10000 enhancing the range of ToughGear series transmissions. The brand new ZF W10000 transmission, introduced at the 2014 SMM show in Hamburg, is the latest commercial vessel transmission from ZF Marine, a world leader in marine propulsion system technology. This new family of transmissions is designed specifically for the commercial craft segment. “We spent a lot of time talking to the market, but more importantly…

Deep Casing Tools, which has an innovative range of tools designed to land casing and completions at target depth within oil or gas wells, has appointed Jason Henry and Magnus Wardle as Vice-Presidents of Business Development and Technology respectively, further strengthening the global team. Jason has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, originally joining Baker Hughes in 1986 with operational and project management roles in Europe. Later, Jason joined the Baker…

C-MAP won the National Marine Electronics Association Award for best vector charts for the third straight year. C-MAP was also honored by the NMEA in 1994 and 1995 for a total of five awards in eight years. Ken Cirillo, vice president and general manager for C-MAP U.S.A. accepted this year’s award at the 2001 NMEA convention, which was recently held in Sanibel, Fla. Winners in various product categories from around the world are selected by a cross section of the marine electronics industry, including dealers, manufacturer’s reps and certified marine electronics technicians. C-MAPNT vector-based charts provide electronic charting for a variety of applications, such as sailing, bluewater sport fishing, commercial fishing, even cruising inland lakes and waterways.

The B Hepworth Group has appointed Bert Thijssen as Marketing Director for both Hepworth and Wynn. Thijssen brings 30 years of marine experience and has been charged with providing marketing direction and active sales support, as the new structure of the B Hepworth Group emerges. Bert's extensive marine industry experience will be called upon to help define the contrast between Hepworth and Wynn equipment. This has recently been clarified with the launch of a new message to the market and the introduction of new branding. From Nor-Shipping 2005 the various product ranges will be known as 'Hepworth Pantograph' and 'Wynn 'Straight Line'.

Morse Rubber LLC completed a purchase of assets, which include various product ranges and the Keokuk, Iowa manufacturing facility, from Metso Minerals Industries. components. The manufacturing facility comprises 120,000 square ft. under roof with capabilities that include rubber to metal bonding; large scale molding; extruding; machining of rubber, composites and metals as well as metal welding and fabrication. Morse Marine Bearings are rubber lined and water lubricated. They require no seals, and no oil or grease for lubrication. The use of water as a lubricant provides efficient low friction operation and a stable lubricant film due to the incompressibility of water. A full standard range of Imperial and Metric sizes is available. Special sizes are available upon request.

(This is Part II of a two-part series on the Articulated Tug Barge from Robert P. Hill. Why The ATB? The ATB, or "Articulated Tug/Barge" unit is designed to combine the economics of tugboat and barge operation with the speed and weather-reliability of a ship. A hallmark of this concept that makes it different from the ITB or "Integrated Tug/Barge" is the fact that both the tug and the barge are truly independent vessels able to operate successfully even if not together. The tug is a full ABS or internationally-classed ocean tug, capable of meeting all SOLAS regulations where required. It can be made capable of towing and other traditional tug missions.