Skf News

A European project, led by one of Scotland’s leading tidal developers, has demonstrated that the cost of tidal energy could potentially be reduced by as much as 40 percent, and has produced findings that could redefine the boundaries on what can be achieved by tidal power globally. The $22m EnFAIT (Enabling Future Arrays in Tidal) Horizon 2020 project, brought together  seven partners including Scottish tidal developer Nova Innovation, who manage the world’s first offshore tidal array - the Shetland Tidal Array…

Dutch marine battery system supplier EST-Floattech has delivered 1092kWh of battery capacity for new, full-electric ferry Wellingdorf in a contract with system integrator Holland Ship Electric. The zero-emission vessel, the fifth in a series of six hybrid and full-electric vessels for Kiel-based tug and ferry operator SFK, was designed and built by Holland Shipyards Group. The last (hybrid) vessel Schilksee is expected to be delivered early 2026.Earlier this year Holland Shipyards Group…

Inmarsat, the mobile satellite communications provider, has extended its Fleet Xpress service agreement with offshore vessel owner Maersk Supply Service. The extension includes fleet-wide IoT-based ship management connectivity on separate, dedicated bandwidths. The extension has also enabled Maersk Supply Service to evaluate new vessel performance tools for selection, available through Inmarsat’s Certified Application Provider (CAP) program.Operating off Europe, the Americas, West Africa…

As the maritime world collectively feels its way forward in a time now defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of the SMM in Hamburg, traditionally the world's largest and most influential maritime and shipbuilding trade event, share market overview insights on the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic throughout the the shipping industry.The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the world economy on its head. “The recession this year will likely be more severe, and recovery in 2021 will be slower than we anticipated two months ago…

SKF has gained hazardous area approval for its QuickCollect sensor. The new approval allows the sensor to be used in places that would previously have required a ‘hot work’ permit.The certification opens up applications in a range of sectors, including the petrochemicals, mining and marine industries. It also brings digitalization of data into hazardous areas, which up to now is a relative rarity.The sensor is certified to both the international IECEx and European ATEX standards, for use in Zone 1 hazardous areas.

The oceangoing vessel operator Capital Ship Management Corp (CSMC) used SKF equipment to control maintenance costs and avoid breakdowns.SKF’s marine condition monitoring kit is helping a leading ship operator to manage costs and prevent equipment failure across its fleet, said a press release.CSMC has been investigating condition monitoring strategies since 2006, in order to reduce the maintenance costs and minimize the unexpected machinery & equipment breakdown.Together with SKF, Capital came up with an effective strategy by utilizing a new handheld device, launched recently by SKF; the SKF Quick Collect. The company has implemented the solution across a fleet of 30 vessels, with a plan to extend the program for the whole fleet of 56 vessels.

While nothing lasts forever, the cruise industry – and particularly the ‘expedition’ cruise sector – remain on a historic run with no indication of a near-term slowdown.The leisure travel sector, of which expedition cruising is a part, offers numerous possibilities for delivering new “experiences” unlike industrial shipping businesses (or even conventional ferry and passenger transport), which can only grow as fast as the demand in a particular sector.Though there is no precise definition of “expedition”…

Called the Generalized Bearing Life Model (GBLM), its development will ensure that SKF customers and distributors choose the right bearing for the right application, every time.Until now, it has been difficult for engineers to predict whether a hybrid bearing will outperform a steel one in a given application, or whether the possible performance benefits that hybrid bearings enable are worth the extra investment they require. The conventional equations engineers use to calculate the rating life of a bearing do not reflect the real-world performance of hybrid designs.To rectify this issue…

Mathias Rusch, Director of the Marine business unit at SKF explains what trends are currently shaping the industry, what future challenges are emerging and how operators can manage the flood of data that is coming out of the digitalization revolution.Two major trends that shipowners and operators are currently dealing with are persistently low freight rates, which have been significantly depressing shipowners’ earnings for a number of years and the requirements concerning emissions into both air and water that continue to grow.

A team of European marine research institutes and companies have developed creative technologies for thruster solutions that are specifically engineered for ships operating in the Arctic.With the new solutions created under the three-year ArTEco project led by Finland's VTT and Wärtsilä, thruster lifetimes can be increased, their maintenance need can be decreased and their reliability improved, particularly in extreme conditions, the project partners said.While at sea, a ship must overcome tough resistance as it displaces water masses from its path.

Russian oil company Rosneft announced it has ordered two Aframax crude oil tankers to be built at Russia's far eastern Zvezda shipyard for scheduled delivery in 2022.The Russian-flagged vessels will have a deadweight of 114,000 metric tons and a 1A/1B ice class, which makes them able to operate in icy conditions year round, including in sub-Arctic seas and Russian ports of the Baltic region, said Russian shipping company PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group).According to the documents, Arctic Leasing will place orders for construction of the two Aframax tankers at the shipyard…

The SMM 2018 scheduled to take place September 4-7, 2018, in Hamburg, Germany, is held every two years and is the traditional launching platform for a variety of commercial shipping and shipbuilding technologies. Five new marine technologies to look for in Hamburg include:Company: Radio HollandBooth: B6.301Product: Radar, Service, BWTRadio Holland, known for its global service network, shows its network at SMM as well as newdevelopments and innovations in its network. Most important…

Further digitalization of established technologies such as condition monitoring and smart sensors could have a revolutionary effect on manufacturing, said Bernie van Leeuwen, Director Product Management Digitalization at SKF. Digitalization, most apparent in the consumer market, where music downloads, online shopping and on-demand TV are hailed as marvels of the digital age, is also having a huge effect on manufacturing. Sweden based SKF is at the forefront of using digitalization to improve its business in the service of its customers.

SKF has extended its BlueMon environmental monitoring and mapping system to meet the maritime emission requirements of MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI. As the number of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) grows, and limits become stricter, ship operators are finding it increasingly difficult and time-consuming to stay compliant. With the amendment of Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78 coming into force in January 2020, there is now even more reason to adopt SKF BlueMon’s automated approach to compliance. The existing SKF BlueMon product already focusses on Annex I. As well as collecting and analysing data from a variety of sensors, its mapping application visually relates measurements to the vessel’s geographical position in reference to relevant ECAs at any given time.

In response to growing demand from the cruise liner, large ferry and exploration vessel sectors, SKF has upgraded its marine stabilizer production facilities in Hamburg, Germany. The new investments include a 130-metric-ton capacity heavy duty overhead crane, two new assembly stations for large stabilizers and additional production space dedicated to the manufacture of smaller units. The expanded facilities will allow SKF to increase production of its largest S800 stabilizer system from eigth to sixteen sets a year.

When you’re out at sea, the last thing you need is a major breakdown. In such a case, it would mean being towed back to dry dock for expensive repairs – and that’s something that hard-pressed shipping companies can do without. One way around this is to keep a constant watch over onboard assets condition, and SKF has helped one shipping customer to do this – introducing condition monitoring to its ship, with plans to extend the service to other vessels in the fleet. Condition monitoring is a vital resource in any industry, as it helps to protect assets from sudden failure.

Environmental regulations for ships are getting more stringent, but automated sensor technology could help ship operators remain in compliance. The recent agreement signed in Paris, at the UN Climate Change Conference, will require all industries to keep reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although there was no specific mention of shipping, the aim of keeping global temperature rises below 2ºC this century will require the industry to play its part – as it is responsible for about 2% of global CO2 emissions.

SKF introduces high performance and quick to install device for oil and water separation in marine applications. SKF has launched a new mechanical device for the fast and easy separation of oil and water in tanks in marine and offshore applications. Sludge oil is a term commonly used to describe the waste oil mainly derived from the process of purifying fuel oils and lubricating oils in order to ensure proper operation of ship’s machinery. During the process, the separated water from the purifying process mixes with the waste oil in the sludge tank.

When TOTE announced plans to build the world’s largest LNG powered containerships, it stood to reason that along the way many milestones would fall. The most recent came when Doosan Engine delivered the world’s first dual-fuel, low-speed ME-GI engine to NASSCO in San Diego. The engine is built to operate on LNG and/or bunker C oil and will power the first of two 3,100-teu container ships ordered by TOTE. The Korean engine maker originally won the order to build the ME-GI engines in 2013.

SKF and SKF Blohm + Voss Industries will showcase its combined range of solutions for the marine industry at the Nor-Shipping trade fair June 2-5, 2015 in Lillestrøm, near Oslo, Norway. At the show, SKF and SKF Blohm + Voss Industries will demonstrate a thruster exhibition model, which will enable visitors to see the full range of its associated products and services. Everything from the bearings, gear coupling and lubrication system, to the SIMPLEX-COMPACT seal and the propeller sleeve will be displayed. In addition, supplementary services, such as condition monitoring and alignment services, as well as SIMPLEX-COMPACT sterntube seals and an environmental monitoring system for measuring and recording emissions will be on show.

A new SKF Taconite Seal for bearings in split block housings protects against contaminated or wet operating conditions. According to the manufacturer, benefits of this multi-stage labyrinth cartridge seal include exclusion of contaminants, improved prevention of water ingress (even during high-pressure washing), maximized bearing and seal service life, reduced grease consumption, reduced environmental impact and optimized machine performance and uptime. The seal provides an especially practical barrier solution for demanding applications such as conveyor pulleys…

SMM was another full success. With more than 2,100 exhibitors from all around the world, including 150 first-timers, with 50,000 industry visitors and roughly 90,000 square metres of exhibition space, SMM has demonstrated once again what it means to be the leading international trade fair of the maritime industry. After four days brimming with activity, the 26th SMM came to a close today. "We set new records this year," said Bernd Aufderheide, CEO and President of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. "The excellent turnout not only showed that companies are ready to meet the current challenges with determination, but it also revealed a growing appreciation for collaboration," he added.

Electric motors are among the highest in reliability incident reports, said SKF Canada, noting that for many companies, electric motor failures lead to a continual cycle of costly repairs and unplanned downtime - factors that can hurt the bottom line. Since 40% to 70% of motor failures are related to bearings, it's no surprise that high-quality bearings are key for reliable motors. SKF Canada announced it has recently launched the SKF Certified Rebuilder program for electric motor repair and four shops have already achieved the certification: GMR Electric motors, Saskatoon, SK; Les Entreprises LM, Montreal QC; Continental Electric, Edmonton, AB and GPR Industries, Grande Prairie, AB.