THORDON’S GSS DIVISION EXPANDS TO MEET GROWING DEMAND FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE BEARING SOLUTIONS
Thordon Bearings has expanded its Global Service and Support (GSS) division to meet market demand for installation and maintenance support of its entire product portfolio.
GSS now offers more services to assist shipowners, shipbuilders and repair yards with the installation, commissioning, maintenance and shaft/stern tube alignment services for the full range of oil and grease-free Thordon propeller shaft, rudder and deck bearing products.
Thordon GSS Manager Carl Sykes said: “We have seen a marked increase in the number of projects GSS teams have been involved in this year and have therefore increased our service and support personnel to meet this demand.”
In the 2017 period to date, GSS teams have seen a steady rise in the number of different projects around the world, the majority of which were installation projects, indicating increasing market demand for Thordon products.
“We have carried out a number of propeller shaft bearing and water quality package installations this year, especially to cruiseships, tankers, container ships and naval vessels, but we have also noticed an upswing in projects involving our TG100 seal,” Sykes said.
The beauty of TG-100 seals are that they can be easily repaired in-situ, so operators are not required to drydock the vessel to replace component parts. Such was the case recently when a seal was damaged due to an incident in the engine room. Parts were replaced quickly and efficiently to ensure the vessel went back into service swiftly.
Sykes also said that there has been a rise in the number of shaft coating projects for newbuild tankers and bulkers under construction at Asian shipyards. “As more shipowners opt for seawater lubricated bearings, they have to ensure their shafts are protected from corrosion. Our ThorShield shaft protection system is increasingly specified, which is applied by a Thordon GSS Technician to ensure the coating is applied properly so that shipowners can benefit from extended shaft withdrawal inspection periods.”
Andy Edwards, Thordon Bearings’ Commercial Director, said: “We have experienced unprecedented demand for our technologies over the past two to three years. But as the market moves away from traditional oil and grease lubricated bearing systems, with operators increasingly opting for more cost-effective, environmentally sustainable solutions, a comprehensive service network has to be in place to support this growing customer base. We are pleased that the GSS department has been able to meet market demand in such a relatively short timeframe.”
The Thordon Global Service & Support network offers a full scope of bearing installation and commissioning services, oil to water-lubricated bearing conversion management, shaft coating and shaft seal installation and commissioning. GSS will also offer shaft and stern tube measurement and geometrical alignment services for correct positioning of stern tube and bearings.
For more information, contact:
Charlene Taylor
Marketing Coordinator
Thordon Bearings Inc.
Email: charlenet@thordonbearings.com
Tel: +1 905 335 1440