Enormously exact - Sachwertanlage

Enormously exact The “E.R. Benedetta”, the 100th ship in the E.R. Schiffahrt fleet, was built in Korea at the

world’s largest shipyard. The speciality of Hyundai Heavy Industries is breathtaking

precision, as a look at the everyday life of the Site Team shows

Moving only fractions of a millimetre at a time, the

golden, glittering 110-tonne propeller edges to-

wards the cone of the propeller shaft. Once it

reaches its final position – after moving a total distance of ap-

proximately two thirds of the length of a matchstick – it will be

so tightly fitted that it won’t budge

under any circumstances. In fact, the

word “approximately” is quite out of

place at this shipyard where utmost

precision is always the focus, despite

the enormous dimensions. That is

why E.R. Schiffahrt is having the

“E.R. Benedetta”, the 100th vessel

in its fleet, built in Ulsan, where noth-

ing is approximate, but rather very,

very precise.

Ivo Bozanic, an E.R. Schiffahrt in-

spector at the Hyundai Heavy Indus-

tries shipyard in Korea, explains what

this means in concrete terms: “To en-

sure that the right contact pressure is

achieved, the shipyard workers had to

shift the propeller exactly 28.46 mil-

limetres. As precision is so important,

Germanischer Lloyd and ourselves

were present in person too.”

There is plenty of action in Dock 8,

where the “E.R. Benedetta” is being

built. The “Benedetta” is the first of

eight sister vessels that, with a capac-

ity of 13,100 TEU, are among the

largest container vessels in the world

and whose keels will have been laid

down at intervals of two to four weeks.

A cacophony of sound from the

piercing warning signals of the

cranes, the clanging of heavy ham-

mers from the nearby shipbuilding

hall and the whining of several angle grinders pervades

the scene. It takes a closer look to understand why parts of the

bow still have supports: the sections of the hull have not

yet been fully welded.

“The segments are constructed with such precision that

hardly any realignment work is re-

quired when the ship is assembled.

When a segment is inserted, it is at

most 16 millimetres from the existing

segments on either side. We call this

OTS or “one time setting,” explains

Jung Man Seo, Project Manager at

Hyundai. In addition to the computer-

controlled cutting of the steel plates

and a great deal of experience on the

part of the employees, this approach

also encompasses the ongoing super-

vision of the exact specifications.

“Heavy industry with the precision of

the tiny gears in a clock – that is a de-

gree of quality that deeply impresses

every one of us,” Waldemar Soltysiak,

Site Manager for E.R. Schiffahrt, adds.

Together with his team of 16 inspec-

tors he can always be found some-

where in the docks, supporting and

supervising the ship construction.

The specialists for hull (entire steel

construction), paint, electrical instal-

lations and machinery have hun-

dreds of individual inspections to

carry out – appointments with the

shipyard employees and the classifi-

cation society to monitor the prog -

ress of specific construction phases

and to initiate the next stages of

work. Soltysiak gives an example:

“Each individual ship has 76 tanks.Precision in the 100th of a millimetre range: Ivo Bozanic in front of the propeller 8

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32270_08_18_SSDE0411_05_Report_at.QXD_Layout1 Kopie 1 01.12.11 11:07 Seite 8

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Report 11


12 Report

Supported bow section –the hull has not yet beencompletely welded


Report 13

The first thing to be carried out after completion of steel and out-

fitting works is the tightness test. Then – before the first coat of

paint is applied – the surface preparation is checked, and, depend-

ing on the coating system used, there are up to five application

inspections – which in turn depends on the respective function

of the surface.”

An access opening in the hull just above the waterline enables fast

access from the edge of Dock 1 to the engine room of the “E.R. Vega”.

The “Vega” is the third vessel of the series. Hull Inspector Bum Su

Kim discusses the upcoming tightness test of the HFO service

tanks. A draft on the floor shows the procedure: in a string of sev-

eral adjacent tanks, every second one must be kept unpressurised

so that the welding seams can be inspected from all sides. Soapy

water from a pressure cylinder is used as an indicator: if any air

escapes the inspectors will see bubbles form. Focused and well

practiced, Kim and a shipyard employee check the seams – no

bubbles, so no faults found.

The men release the pressure from the tanks, and a long hissing

sound fills the room. Then they open the manhole and both

climb inside the tanks to inspect the remaining construction

issues. Sounds dull, almost as if underwater: the blows of the ham-

mers have lost their metallic clang, everything is muffled. The

intense beams of lights from the torches shine on steel surfaces,

welding seams and a ladder leading down to the next level. No

faults here, so everything passes this inspection.

The men are dazzled by the sudden sunlight when they leave the

engine room. Blue sky after days of grey clouds and rain – further

east, typhoon “Roke” had passed through, raging at wind speeds

of up to 120 knots. It had brought waves many metres high to the

Korean Eastern Sea, their spray surging over the breakwater. Now,

calmness has returned, and fishing boats have headed out for the

first time in days.

The “Il Shin” is docking now, stern first. The flat special-purpose

ship with two stern doors supplies the shipyard depot with ship-

building steel. At over 100 vessels constructed here annually, which

Inspection of the HFO service tanks: Bum Su Kim

Connecting the fly wheel and the propeller shaft

8


14 Report

Checking the welding seams on theouter shell: lifting platforms are

indispensable here


Report 15

Highest precision as a goal: Zdzislaw Glinski and Jung Man Seo,Project Manager at Hyundai

Sectional construction: hull segment including HFOtank and cell guides

means that a ship is delivered approximately every three and a half

days, the “Il Shin” has to supply a lot of steel. The shipyard won’t

say how much exactly, and it also won’t comment on the weight of

the sister vessels. This would allow conclusions to be drawn about

the strength of the steel that is used, and the shipyard wants to keep

this expertise to itself.

A “Scheuerle” block transporter moves slowly closer and stops.

These flat, yellow vehicles have up to 76 wheels. They can lift ele-

ments weighing up to 1,000 tonnes and bring them to the construc-

tion docks, and if even bigger components have to be moved – for

example, an entire accommodation block, fully fitted with bridge

electronics, galley, built-in furniture and lifeboats, two transporters

can be positioned parallel to one another.

Right now, the segment on the “cockroach”, as the inspectors

call it, shows the black–red line on a ship’s side – clearly a section of

the port-side shell of the “E.R. Vega”. Specifically, the section with

the white “M” of the charterer, MSC. The deep box behind the

ship’s side is one of the 18-metre-high HFO tanks with a total capac-

ity of 12,600 tonnes that are fitted beneath the accommodation

block. Cell guides for cargo hold no. 4 are visible on its front.

One of the shipyard’s eight “Goliath” gantry cranes at this loca-

tion lifts the segment from the transporter. Then, in slow motion, it

straightens and hovers slowly across the dock to the port side of the

“Vega”. Here, the workers with the green helmets are in charge.

They give instructions to the crane operator so that he can set down

the segment in the correct position.

Just minutes later, the new segment is in place – and looks as if it

has always been there. The gantry crane is back in motion already,

picking up the corresponding component for the opposite side of

the hull. Segment erection is always carried out in parallel.

Over in Dock 8, in the engine room of the “E.R. Benedetta”, every-

one’s attention is currently focused on connecting the fly wheel and

the propeller shaft. This component, which is screwed on, is re-

sponsible for transferring the gigantic torque produced by the MAN

B&W two-stroke diesel engine with twelve cylinders and 72,240 kW 8


(98,246 hp). To ensure that there is no clearance at all, a shrink fitting

is being carried out: bolts that are minimally too large for the bore-

holes in the propeller shaft’s flange and in the fly wheel are cooled

down, inserted into the holes and then expanded again through

the ambient temperature. During the process, the men measure the

temperature of the components in the presence of the inspector from

Germanischer Lloyd and Iegor Makrushych from Soltysiak’s team.

Construction for the “E.R. Cristina” in Dock 9 has progressed the

furthest. The ten-metre-high rudder gleams in its coat of red silicon

paint. The surface feels like a newly waxed ski. “The rudder’s surface

is so smooth that not even water will find an angle of attack. The

combination of asymmetrical shape and the silicon paint coating

provides extremely effective protection against cavitation,” says

Paint Inspector Lee. Mr Lee is almost always seen with a paint dry

film thickness gauge in hand for checking how thick the total appli-

cation is at various locations on the ship. “According to the specifi-

cations, for example, it must be 0.75 millimetres thick on the under-

water hull,” Lee explains. And this must be comprised of two layers

of anti-corrosive paint, the tie coat and three layers of antifouling.

Moreover, his eyes systematically scan up and down the various

sections. Are there faults on the surface, is reworking required? “The

condition of the surface is obviously also important. A new ship is

a new ship – all surfaces simply have to be perfect,” says Lee. The

checks on the outside of the ship only account for a fraction of his

tasks, however. Every section of the surface, inside and out, of the

366-metre-long, 48-metre-wide and 66-metre-high ships must be in-

spected before the primer is applied and then again after the appli-

cation of each coating.

Exact inspection is also carried out on every device that either

generates or consumes electricity, all the measuring instruments and

indicators, and on the 28,750 metres of cable that connect them.

This is Zdzislaw Glinski’s specialty. Routine visit to the bridge of the

“E.R. Cristina”: the windows are still taped following painting work,

but the light of the glaring sun falls on the navigation deck. Above

the middle window, the indicators for the rudder angle and the speed

Everything in the right place? The permanent controlensures an extremely high construction quality

8

Site Manager Waldemar Soltysiak (2.f.l.) and histeam: “Rely on your own personal experience”


Report 17

First heave-up of thealmost 22-tonne anchor


log are being connected. Three satellite communication systems,

ECDIS (but there are nonetheless still drawers for the charts), radar –

everything here is state-of-the-art. “The ship’s automation systems

make it possible for the engines to operate unattended. Control of

the main engine can be carried out from the bridge directly, even

during manoeuvering.” Glinski can only really “get going”, however,

once the ship “lives” – when her own electricity supply system is

running and the systems can be put into operation, one by one.

In the engine control room, shipyard employees gather around

an employee from Kongsberg who is installing the alarm system.

The transformer station is in the room next door. “Our four aux-

iliary diesel engines provide 6,600 volts, which are transformed

here into a working voltage of 440 volts for pumps, compressors

and centrifuges. The lighting, bridge and communication all use

220 volts. Only the bow thrusters and reefer panels use the 6.6 kV,”

explains Glinski.

The dock gradually empties. All the boom lifts are gone, leaving

a large, deserted area beneath the “E.R. Cristina”. Mooring lines at

the bow and stern leave a clue though: after seven and a half

months of construction the moment when the ship will meet her

element for the first time is finally approaching – the launch.

The anchor chain goes taut. The “E.R. Cristina” has 14 shackles –

385 metres – on each side. The port-side anchor, weighing 21,750

kilogrammes, drags a few metres over the surface of the dock and

then pulls upright. After a few turns around its own axis it slowly

moves towards the hawsehole. The ship is ready.

For vessels in the ultra large container class two additional

months or so usually pass between the launch and taking delivery

of the ship. At the end of June 2012, when the last of our eight ships

leaves the shipyard, the Site Team will have inspected 3,200 blocks,

examined the functionality of over 240 kilometres of piping, and

checked 8,288 kilometres of welding seams – in total, that is approx-

imately the distance between Frankfurt and Seoul.

Approximately? Hardly. Everything is very, very exact during the

construction of the “E.R. Benedetta” and her seven sister vessels. n

14 shackles on each side: the a nchor chainof the “E.R. Cristina”

Shortly after the launch: “E.R. Benedetta” and “E.R. Cristina” at the outfitting quay

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Enormously exact - Sachwertanlage