Every five years, vessels must undergo scheduled inspections and maintenance in a dry dock. Not only is this a safety requirement from classification societies, it is also a preventive measure to keep ships sailing efficiently. As part of the preparations for docking, shipowners will provide shipyards with specifications for the work to be completed. Shipyards then make a quotation or bid against other shipyards for the contract.

Specialists on standby

Scheduled dry docking includes all necessary tasks that are impossible to perform while the ship is in water. The vessel’s hull will be cleaned and repainted, and critical components such as propellers and thrusters are inspected and overhauled if necessary. Shipyards can complete many of these tasks themselves. However, for more specialist services, many shipyards rely on subcontractors to ensure they have the necessary resources available to deliver these services.

With tight schedules to meet, shipowners have to plan dry docking intervals well in advance. If unexpected complications are discovered, downtime and delays can lead to enormous costs. It’s vital for shipyards to maintain constant availability of experts and high-tech equipment to resolve emergency issues as quickly as possible. All repair work is supervised and inspected by representatives from the relevant classification society to ensure that safety and quality standards are met.

Partnerships empowering shipyards

Palumbo Group is an example of a company that has joined forces with a third party to enhance the range of services it offers. For several years, SKF has supported the Palumbo shipyard in Malta with precision services such as shaft alignment, on-site machining, and chocking. This has enabled the shipyard to react quickly to urgent shaft issues and solve them before delays can occur.

Late last year, SKF signed an agreement with Palumbo Shipyards to provide high-tech services. In addition to shaft alignment, on-site machining, and chocking services, the agreement covers mounting services, vibration measurements, and geometric and strain gauge alignment measurements.

Ready and waiting

As part of the agreement, specialists from the SKF Machine Support Services will be on hand to carry out precision services when called on. The team based in the Netherlands is highly mobilized, flying wherever their expertise is required. They bring handheld specialist tools with them or ship larger equipment to the location in advance. This cooperation ensures that Palumbo Shipyards have access to the resources they need to provide a time-efficient and valuable service to shipowners.

Both sides are set to benefit from the mutual agreement, with SKF having the option to call for support from Palumbo’s own engineers for on-board repairs. Initially, this partnership will apply directly to the Palumbo shipyard in Malta. There are already plans to roll out this collaboration to other Palumbo shipyards in the near future.