TG100 Seal

Capital expenditure is always a key consideration during the system procurement process but when low cost components result in an increase in unbudgeted operational costs, then any savings quickly diminish. That was the experience of Saudi Arabia-based ship operator Hadi Hamad Al-Hammam when the original shaft seals fitted to Hadi 37, a 2013-built twin-screw offshore tug supply vessel (OTSV), began to leak and vibrate, resulting in regular visits to drydock for costly repairs.

Canadian company Thordon Bearings has notched up another success story for a customer in the demanding offshore sector, with a bearing and seal installation in “perfect condition” after over three years of operation.

Thordon Bearings has updated its TG100 seal installation requirements to facilitate cost-effective installation at all shipyards with the release of new instructional videos. Shipyard staff can quickly and easily install the state-of-the-art seal themselves, reducing the overall costs of TG100 procurement.

Thordon Bearings has completed a range of water-lubricated and grease-free bearing installations to a third salt lugger in the Salinor/Navenor fleet, following the successful retrofitting of bearings to problematic newbuilds. The salt carrier Nossa Sra. das Das Vitorias was retrofitted with Thordon’s SXL propeller shaft bearings after just three weeks of operation, while sistership Dona Zita was retrofitted with RiverTough shaft bearings and hardened steel liners in 2016.