Geared motor cruising along: Seaworthy drives make engineering easier for marine equipment supplier
29/08/2017 NORD Gear (UK) Ltd
For their extensive drive program that enables suitable configurations for almost all torque, speed, and duty type requirements, NORD DRIVESYSTEMS also ensures that adequate extras and options are readily available to facilitate operation in challenging environments. This was a particular boon to Italian ships outfitter Navalimpianti, as they found that adapting drives for maritime use no longer required a great application-specific engineering effort.Components and systems for maritime applications must be especially rugged and durable because of their continuous exposure to a moist, salty atmosphere. In addition, suitability for widely differing operating temperatures becomes necessary for ships that pass through several climate zones. Navalimpianti, an experienced Italian marine equipment provider, used to individually select and procure all required equipment including electric drive components. All configurations and adaptations of the drive solutions were then done in-house to comply with rigorous demands, all to ensure totally reliable performance for many years. Obviously, this required a very substantial effort. All of that changed almost instantly when Navalimpianti found that drive provider NORD DRIVESYSTEMS was able to flexibly implement the required options from their standard catalog, and supply suitable drive systems everywhere in the world.
Navalimpianti not only found the high gearbox quality and reliability more than satisfactory, but especially appreciated the German drive manufacturer's readiness to implement specifications such as IP66 ingress protection or stainless-steel output shaft fittings. A number of other application-specific features were then jointly defined by the customer and NORD, whose engineers were able to draw on decades of experience and advise on the optimum drive selection and configuration.
Rain or shine - drives move Skydomes
Individually designed for each ship, Navim Skydomes are a stand-out product in the portfolio of the experienced passenger vessel outfitter. These elegant sliding glass roofs are composed of numerous movable segments and are equipped with a motor. When they are completely closed, they keep out wind and rain and enable air conditioning of the upper deck. The glass roofs add value to any cruise ship because they allow the year-round use of outdoor swimming pools, which are among the main attractions for many travelers. They are opened and closed gently and quietly by specially configured NORD drives. Two or four parallel-shaft geared motors are used depending on the span and weight of the roofs. In addition to a high resistance to maritime climates, these drives must withstand the chlorine-saturated atmosphere around the pool. Notably, they must ensure failure-free operation for many years, because once the roof is installed, they are not easily accessible for maintenance or repairs.
Drive over board - window cleaning on the high seas
Moving window cleaning platforms into position is another task NORD drives take care of. "We are outfitting two ships right now," says Silvano Lonzar, chief designer at Navalimpianti, "one with six and one with seven motorized window cleaning platforms for the ship's right, left, and stern side." Four bevel and worm geared motors per window cleaning system power the winches that move the platforms horizontally along. The worm-geared motors are self-holding and therefore need no brakes to stop. The fans of the vertically installed motors are protected from rain ingress by double canopies. Further safeguards in this outdoor application and its salty and chlorine-saturated atmosphere include terminal boxes sealed with epoxy resin and stainless steel hollow shafts. A five-layer coating for offshore operations with sturdy multi-component paints ensures class C5 corrosion protection according to EN 12944.
For more information, please contact:
Andrew Stephenson
NORD Gear (UK) Ltd
11 Barton Lane
Abingdon Science Park
Abingdon
Oxfordshire OX14 3NB
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1235 534404
Email: Andrew.Stephenson@nord.com
Web: www.nord.com
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