Hytec's coastal division recently displayed its diverse field of expertise when it was asked to supply Rexroth hydraulic equipment for installation on a dredging vessel and then called in again, following the contamination of one its hydraulic oil systems.
"Initially, the owners of the MV Filippo Brunelleschi intended to just source the components in question from us, the local representative. However, we managed to convince them to make use of our full range of services," reports Hytec's Robbie Login.
A pneumatic service line involving about 120 m of 18 mm stainless steel tubing on board was installed, complete with bracketing and clamps, within two weeks. The vessel was in full operation at the time, reclaiming the area for the new container pier in the Durban harbour. This meant that the Hytec installation team needed to be in close contact with the ship's captain to ensure that they were on hand to meet up with it in harbour when it was backfilling the new harbour in order to board the vessel. Then came the main challenge of having to work a full 12 hour shift on the vessel while in full operation - sailing in and out of the Durban harbour every 2 hours to load sand and then back to the port to pump and backfill the new pier.
The pneumatic line was routed along the easiest workable path. This entailed numerous deck and bulkhead penetrations, as well as working in the main engine room, with the vessel in service. In summary, the route took the pipe line from the main engine room situated at the rear of the vessel (two decks below the main deck) to the service point forward of mid-ship on the main deck.
Hytec chosen for further work on the ship
After Durban, the vessel was deployed to Port Elizabeth. While working on the Coega project, one of the electrical drive motors on board the MV Filippo Brunelleschi burnt out and contaminated one of the hydraulic oil systems. Hytec was approached, once again, for a speedy solution.
The system was flushed, and the 4000 litre reservoir was drained, cleaned, inspected and recommissioned within a week. "Our installation crew's many years of experience in tubing installations was demonstrated through the success of achieving this task within the limited permitted turnaround time," Login explains.
The flushing and cleaning of the system involved the sourcing of a 220 litre per minute flushing rig from Hytec in Spartan. A Hydac particle counter contamination unit was employed to ensure that the system was cleaned to the NAS and ISO contamination class as required by the hydraulic components used in the system.
Bulk storage containers for the four kilolitres of oil, fabrication of flushing spool pieces to connect and flush the system, hose assemblies to connect the rig to the existing piping, and power supplies for Hytec's equipment were brought into use.
"Close cooperation with our Spartan branch, as well as the contribution of the transportation companies hired to move the equipment from Johannesburg to Durban and to and from the vessel all contributed to the timely and successful completion of this project," says Login.
For more information contact Willem Gijzelaar, Hytec Holdings, +27 (0) 11 979 4630.
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