Protecting ships’ running gear
(Posted on 03/10/19)
Rudders, thrusters, nozzles and other underwater running gear are exceptionally prone to corrosion and cavitation damage. Cavitation is caused by the spinning of propeller blades. If running gear is not given the proper protection against this the damage can be severe.
This leads to expensive and time-consuming repairs in drydock at the least or malfunctioning of the running gear at worst. A rudder has been found missing in its entirety on more than a few occasions, unfortunately. This will have substantial financial consequences for a shipowner.
Applying Ecoshield is a fast and easy to learn process. As a result an application is very flexible and can easily be scheduled around the planning of the yard. Only two layers are required. The minimum overcoating time between these layers is only three hours. This means that most running gear can be coated in a single day.
Newbuild ships benefit the most from Ecoshield. Applying the coating during building means a vessel’s running gear will be protected from the moment the ship leaves the shipyard until the end of its service life. A shipowner will not have to worry about repainting during any of the scheduled dockings.
An existing ship can also be protected with Ecoshield. If for instance a rudder has already suffered corrosion damage, the coating can prevent any further damage from occurring. In such case Ecoshield can be used in combination with another product in the Subsea Industries family: Ecofix.
Ecofix is a superior, tested and proven filler that restores the steel to its original shape with a smooth surface prior to recoating. Because it uses the same basic resin, Ecoshield can be applied just one hour after the filler.
Hundreds of successful Ecoshield applications have been carried out over the last years. Just in the last few weeks several rudders, thruster tunnels and nozzles were coated with Ecoshield. These applications were performed on different types of vessels in shipyards across the globe.
Shipowners that started with a single rudder as a test have since then ordered the same protection for the running gear of their entire fleet. Several have included the coating in the newbuild specs to make sure cavitation and corrosion can not touch the steel of their ship’s running gear. Even after years of service these owners are experiencing zero cavitation damage and failure.
Latest News
Rollout of CMT test kits increase as bulk shipmanagers look to reduce costs
(Posted on 16/07/26)CM Technologies (CMT) has supplied its integrated onboard fuel/oil testing and analysis kits to a fleet... Read more
Superior’s TeleStacker conveyor evolution continues to improve plant and port performance
(Posted on 07/07/26)Superior Industries, Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing... Read more
Repositioned for the Future: NDE Readymix’s E-Crane Transformation
(Posted on 03/07/26)NDE Readymix Concrete Ltd., established in 2009, is the largest non-cement ready-mix concrete producer... Read more
Hazira Port crane success for Steelpaint’s new Stelcatec-L repair coat solution
(Posted on 30/06/26)German corrosion protection specialist Steelpaint has successfully completed a technical field trial... Read more
Veson Platform a new foundation for maritime trade
(Posted on 30/06/26)Veson Nautical has announced the Veson Platform, a unified, AI-powered experience that brings together... Read more
ABB to acquire Høglund to expand marine automation offering
(Posted on 29/06/26)ABB has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire marine automation specialist Hø... Read more
NAVTOR sets new standards with Digital Logbook ‘industry firsts’
(Posted on 29/06/26)NAVTOR has unveiled the latest iteration of its Digital Logbooks offering, featuring the industry&rsquo... Read more
Industry warned battery fire awareness must catch up with changing onboard risks
(Posted on 25/06/26)The maritime industry is facing a rapidly changing fire risk on board vessels as electric vehicles and... Read more
Smart Ship Hub launches one of industry's lowest-cost vessel data loggers
(Posted on 24/06/26)Smart Ship Hub (SSH), the maritime intelligence and data collection platform, has launched one of the... Read more
75 Years young: Verstegen celebrates three quarters of a century of excellence
(Posted on 18/06/26)World leading manufacturer of rope operated mechanical grabs for the dry bulk industry, Verstegen Grijpers... Read more
