Thordon Bearing’s evolutionary COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing system, has been nominated in the Auxiliary Machinery category of the European Marine Engineering Awards, which will take place in Amsterdam next month.
Craig Carter, Thordon Bearings’ Head of Marketing and Customer Service, said: “We are absolutely delighted that COMPAC has been nomitated for such a prestigous award. Being nominated for an engineering award is testemant to the advances our engineers and scientists have made in polymer technology.
“The polymer we use in our COMPAC system is quite different from other material technology opted for in seawater-lubricated bearing systems,” added Carter. “Other bearing materials tend to have a life span of between five and seven years before they need replacing, but our engineers have produced a polymer allowing us to offer a guaranteed bearing wear-life of 15 years. And current vessels using COMPAC are seeing even longer wear life.”
George Morrison, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager West Europe and Africa, said: “To be nominated for this award soon after winning the Tanker Shipping & Trade Environement Award last November is a remarkable achievement and illustrates the confidence that the market has in this technology.”
Last year Thordon Bearings’ COMPAC seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing systems were ordered for a number of significant commercial vessels. These included the two largest Jones Act containerships to be built, the 3600TEU vessels for Matson Navigation; the 38700dwt ‘Green Dolphin’ bulk carrier Revelin for Atlantska Plovidba; and JT Cement’s Greenland, the world’s first ever LNG-fuelled dry bulk ship.
Other nominees for Riviera Maritime Media’s European Marine Engineering Awardsinclude ABB’s Azipod D and Wärtsilä’s Sternguard Seal. Nominees had to demonstrate a technological development that improves a vessel’s operational efficiency or reduces risk to personnel.