Focus on Innovation for IHC Merwede at Europort 2011

As a global market leader in dredging and mining vessels and equipment, and a reliable supplier of custom-built ships and supplies for offshore construction, IHC Merwede will be among the leading exhibitors at the Europort 2011 exhibition and CEDA Dredging Days technical forum in The Netherlands.

The Europort event is one of the world’s largest maritime exhibitions and will take place in the heart of the Port of Rotterdam on 8-11 November. The show focuses on all areas of the shipbuilding industry, from naval and dredging, to fishing and offshore, and attracts more than 800 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors biennially to Ahoy Rotterdam. This year, IHC Merwede will again take its place at stand 1312 to showcase innovative vessels, advanced equipment and life-cycle support for the dredging, mining and offshore markets. The eye-catching and fully interactive display will include an iPad column and movie screens.

A number of impressive scale models will showcase the wide range of innovative vessels engineered and manufactured by IHC Merwede. The company’s goal of meeting the specific requirements of every customer worldwide is highlighted by: the custom-built CONGO RIVER and standard BEAGLE trailing suction hopper dredgers; and the self-propelled ATHENA and standard IHC Beaver® cutter suction dredgers. In addition, IHC Merwede’s expertise in dredgers is supported by its line-up of special vessels, including the grab hopper and backhoe dredger on display at Europort 2011.

The largest mono-hull, heavy lifting vessel in the world, the OLEG STRASHNOV is one of IHC Merwede’s biggest attractions in the offshore sector. It will be joined by a multi-purpose offshore support vessel, the TYPE-22 HOS ACHIEVER. The IHC Merwede stand will also feature examples of advanced equipment designed to meet the demands of the dredging, mining and offshore sectors, such as two flexible spud carriers for a self-propelled cutter suction dredger and an IHC Beaver® dredger. The Curve® is a new type of pump impeller with blades designed to improve the suction characteristics and reduce the wear rate of a dredge pump. Furthermore, the patented BoneCrusher® is a suction/discharge hose that has been designed by IHC Merwede with innovatively shaped steel rings to protect the rubber from abrasion and therefore ensure durability.

Other innovations on display will include: IHC Lagersmit’s environmentally friendly thrusters seal, the SUPREME Ventus; IHC Deep Sea Dredging & Mining’s dredging crawler and riser for deep-sea excavation and vertical transport over long distances; IHC Systems’ excavator simulator, including the innovative cycle automation already delivered in 2011; and examples of IHC Hytop’s winches and power units.
 

IHC Hytop will also introduce its range of flushing units for the rental market, with the capacity to handle large-diameter pipes. The business unit can manage every aspect of the flushing process – up to 9,000 litres per minute – from the engineering and execution, to the delivery of the reports.