Metallurgy News

Harry Stewart recently took the helm as President and CEO of The Dutra Group, succeeding Bill T. Dutra, the man who founded the company at the age of 26 and led it for the last 50 years. With a renewed vigor for national infrastructure, there are myriad opportunities in the dredging and marine construction sectors, opportunities balanced by a similar number of challenges. We recently visited with Mr. Stewart for his insights, covering everything from taking over the seat from an industry legend…

U.S.-based dry bulk shipowner Eagle Bulk Shipping on Wednesday revealed it recently tested biofuels as a means to reduce carbon emissions from its vessel Stamford Eagle.The voyage, completed on GoodFuels' MDF1-100 sustainable biofuel, provided an approximately 80% reduction in net well-to-wake CO2 emissions compared to equivalent fossil fuel, the company said. A broad range of vessel owners and operators, from dredging contractors to cruise lines, have started to run their ships on biofuels as the global maritime industry explores ways to decarbonize.Naturally lower in sulfur…

Demand for natural gas in 2017 has grown by close to 9% in Spain, compared to 2016, reaching 351 TWh. It is the third consecutive year of increased gas demand in the country. Industrial demand for natural gas, which accounts for close to 60% of the total demand, has shown a rise of 7%, in line with the positive evolution of the economy. Among the industrial sectors showing the highest growth in their gas consumption are metallurgy and construction. Natural gas demand for power generation has grown by 27%. The figure is influenced by low levels of hydroelectricity generation this year, down by approximately 48% compared to 2016. Consumption of natural gas by homes…

Propeller design and manufacturing company Stone Marine Propulsion has joined forces with NGC Marine of China to form a new supplier of propulsion solutions and marine gearbox equipment. The new U.K. based company, Stone Marine Propulsion NGC Ltd, is a subsidiary of Stone Marine Propulsion. It combines the experience of Stone Marine Propulsion in propeller design, hydrodynamics and metallurgy with that of NGC Marine Ltd, a manufacturer of marine propulsion and gearbox equipment. Units are available to suit a range of vessel types and sizes, including merchant, commercial and offshore. Already available are CPP propeller systems, Azimuth and Tunnel Thrusters of various types, and the company will also custom design and manufacture propeller, shaft and rudder products built.

Rexroth’s controller is now certified for use on ships, offshore installations and in explosive atmospheres. Six European and American certification boards have approved the IndraControl XM22 control hardware for use on ships and offshore installations even under extreme ambient conditions. The certifications include the control hardware, extension modules for the expansion of the communication interfaces as well as application-specific modules of the fast IndraControl S20 I/O portfolio. IndraControl XM is the latest powerful controller with IP20 protection.

The final success of any fire or explosion investigation is dependent on the management of the incident. Fire and explosion incidents on board vessels have always presented challenging situations for the marine industry. However, with the industry as whole facing ever-increasing financial pressures, many of those who suffer from a fire or explosion are seeking out cost saving measures during investigations. As a result, local surveyors or inexperienced investigators are sometimes appointed in place of a more qualified and experienced expert.

H Henriksen of Norway has received SOLAS certification for a new off-load single-point boat lifting hook capable of holding up to 22.5-tonnes. The quick release hook has been developed principally for use with heavy workboats while a smaller hook has received SOLAS certification for 8-tonnes, making it ideal for the deployment of emergency rescue boats and heavy duty rigid inflatable boats. The new Henriksen hooks have been developed to include a pivot mechanism so that they can perform to their full load capacity even when the boat is at an angle to the lifting cable. It has been recognised that in rough sea conditions lateral loads can impose significant strains upon a hook so the specially designed swivel featured in the new models enables them to accept a load from any direction.

A new quick release off-load lifting hook is being introduced at Seawork by H Henriksen of Norway for use principally with emergency rescue boats (Stand  A237). The new hook is the first in the world to be compliant with the newly introduced NORSOK R-002 lifting equipment regulations. These have been formulated by the Norwegian petroleum industry and are intended to increase the levels of safety principally within Norwegian waters and for Norwegian-based vessels. They are most likely to be applied in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea but they are also expected to set a new benchmark for safety standards in the offshore industry globally.

Yakutsk hosted today celebrations dedicated to welding the first joint of the Power of Siberia gas transmission system (GTS) meant to be a crucial element of the gas supply system being built in eastern Russia. The GTS will convey gas from the Yakutia and Irkutsk gas production centers to the Far East and China. The attendance was comprised of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zhang Gaoli, First Vice Premier of China's State Council, Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Wang Dongjin, Vice President of China National Petroleum Corporation and Yegor Borisov, Acting Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Greater energy efficiency and safety increasingly determine the selection of electric drives, even at high levels of power. With its IndraDrive CL/ML, Bosch Rexroth now offers a scaled product range of strong drive solutions from 110 kW to 4 MW for applications in metal forming, plastics, test, printing, metallurgy, marine, offshore and other heavy industries. These drives open up numerous opportunities for users to improve energy efficiency, especially through power regeneration.

BMT Fleet Technology Ltd (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, has announced its latest research project with the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) to evaluate recent advancements in Integrated Cold Electrode (ICE) welding technology. Jointly funded by industry and the U.S. Navy through NSRP, this project will look at how this technology can improve productivity rates and reduce the construction costs of both commercial and naval vessels. As the project lead, BMT will work closely with a number of partners including: Huntington-Ingalls Industries’…

Looking toward the future and with a weather eye on what could come next, Oregon-based Vigor Industrial launched a six-month training program this July in welding, fabricating and fitting with South Seattle Community College at a new center on Harbor Island. Vigor acquired the site overlooking downtown Seattle when it bought Todd Pacific Shipyards in 2011. And, as an active bidder for the U.S. Coast Guard’s coveted Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program, Vigor also knows that they’ll need to perform when the time comes. A skilled workforce will be an important part of that equation.

GE Oil & Gas has received two Spotlight on New Technology awards from the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) for two new products that address the challenges of deepwater drilling. The awards showcase the latest and most advanced hardware and software technologies that are leading the offshore exploration and drilling industry into the future. RamTel Plus System and ROV Subsea Display Panel. Blowout preventers (BOP) are critical components to drilling operation safety and are used on all wells, both on and offshore. GE’s RamTel Plus System and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Display provide the industry with real-time, electronic measurements of the BOP’s ram position and the pressure required to actuate the blades and/or sealing elements.

GE signed an agreement with Shanghai Maritime University (SMU) to help improve the capabilities of the shipping engineering community in China by providing laboratory facilities and cooperating on research and innovation projects. SMU is a multidisciplinary university that encompasses such areas as engineering, management, economics, law, liberal arts and science, with a special emphasis on shipping technology, economics and management. SMU is one of the leading universities in China and is dedicated to marine and related disciplines…

Naval Sea Systems Command completed a fleet-wide fastener study, identifying and recommending the removal of thousands of fasteners from the Navy supply system. The 16-week supply system review identified 108,000 dormant fasteners-fasteners with no contract, requisition or maintenance history in the past five years-and 3,200 duplicate fasteners where two or more identical fasteners had different stock numbers. The NAVSEA Commonality Project management team led the study, collaborating with in-service engineering agents, technical warrant holders, program offices, shipyards, shipbuilders, the Defense Logistics Agency and original equipment manufacturers.

Danilo Souza Baptista, OSX’s Director of Naval Construction, sat with MR Contributing Editor Claudio Paschoa at EBX Group’s new HQ in downtown Rio de Janeiro, in a meeting room overlooking Guanabara Bay with Sugar Loaf Mountain as a backdrop, to discuss its ambitious yet realistic vision to create one of the largest, most efficient shipyards in the Americas, as well as its Integrated Service Solution to the meet offshore O&G needs. OSX is a relatively new company, founded by the EBX Group in 2009. The EBX Group, is a holding composed of several companies active in different industries such as mining, oil & gas, logistics, real estate, among others.

Diesel engineering specialist Royston Ltd has been appointed as the UK Service Centre for Napier Turbochargers. The appointment means that Napier customers using Newcastle-based Royston to support their turbochargers will benefit from the same quality of parts and service as those provided by the Napier Turbochargers factory. This will introduce a new level of convenience and flexibility to Napier customers while also reassuring them that only genuine Napier parts and engineering standards are being used in repairs and servicing.

Brookes Bell Group - the marine, scientific and technical consultants and surveyors – has laid out a new strategy that will enhance its existing wide-ranging expertise with recent acquisitions and ventures that have significantly broadened its capabilities. Within the last 12 months, the UK-based group has formed an important alliance with AMS Shanghai Ltd. establishing Brookes Bell Shanghai, set up Brookes Bell Hong Kong, acquired Bunker Claims International and merged with Naval Architecture specialists, Safety at Sea Ltd., based in Glasgow.

Energy services company Senergy has appointed a vice president (VP) of resources to further strengthen the company’s commitment to building and developing its global talent pool. Taking up the role is Vivien Broughton who, through her broad oil and gas career, has established an impressive track record in delivering effective business solutions that improve retention and attract new talent. Vivien started her career as a geologist and subsequently worked as a wells engineer before…

Genoa-based verification, certification and ship classification group RINA has published a new notation GAS FUELLED SHIPS which establishes requirements for the use of liquefied or compressed natural gas (LNG or CNG) on board ship as an alternative to traditional fuels. It is designed to  give the industry a regulatory tool to ensure that the arrangement and installation on board of machinery using this type of fuel are such as to provide a level of integrity, from the point of view of safety and reliability, equivalent to that of a conventional installation. RINA notes that the use of natural gas as a fuel provides the advantages of a total reduction in sulphur oxide emissions…

In 2007, SENER President, Jorge Sendagorta, signed with III General Manager, Eduardo Bosque, the purchase agreement of the 40% of III, with the compromise of acquiring 100% of the Mexican engineering company in 2010. Since then, SENER and III have been consolidating their relationship until they have culminated this operation with the constitution of the new company III Grupo SENER. The purchase of the 100% of III by the Spanish engineering company SENER closes a process that began in March 2005, when both companies signed a strategic alliance. By virtue of this alliance, SENER entered the Mexican market with one of the country's main engineering companies, while also promoting III's capacity to contract turnkey projects.

On September 9, 2003, remnant steel from the World Trade Center twin towers will be cast into the future USS New York amphibious transport dock ship, LPD 21. The ship is named for the state of New York and recognizes the courage and commitment of New Yorkers during the 9/11 tragedy. Amite Foundry and Machine in Amite, LA, a subcontractor to the shipbuilder Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, will perform the casting. Thousands of pounds of steel transported from the debris field in Staten Island, NY, will be melted down and poured into the bow stem cast of New York. As part of the bow, the stem and WTC steel will always be the first part of the ship to sail into future 21st Century expeditionary warfare missions.

Greek engineering and metallurgy group Mytilineos is eyeing a majority stake in Hellenic Shipyards in an effort to penetrate further into Greece's defense industry, a company official said. "The group is interested in acquiring a 51 percent stake in Hellenic Shipyards at Skaramanga, however, this will depend on the terms to be set by the Greek government," Vangelis Mytilineos said. "The shipyard has liabilities of 100 billion drachmas and 2,200 employees. Last week, in an amendment to a draft bill presented to parliament, Greece allowed for ETBA Bank that owns 51 percent of the shipyard to reduce its stake, opening the way for its full privatization.