Thordon Bearings Reinstalled in Cutterhead

Dredging Environmental and Marine Engineering N.V. (DEME) cutter suction dredge D’Artagnan was dry docked in February 2014 to remove the cutterhead shaft and inspect the shaft and bearings.

Originally built in 2005 the D’Artagnan self-propelled cutter suction dredge is involved in very heavy rockbreaking. Its cutting power allows it operating in rock soils of 6000 kW.

Frederik Mertens assistant vessel manager at DEME said “The bearings performed well and have shown a positive wear life compared to grease lubricated metallic bearings.”

The decision was made to replace the cutterhead shaft bearings with the same Thorndon Composite bearings that were installed on the intermediate ladder shaft bearings. Mertens said DEME noticed even less wear on the intermediate ladder bearings than the cutterhead bearings.

Grease-free Thordon SXL wire rope sheaves were also installed during the drydocking.

DEME cutter suction dredge D’Artagnan.

Thordon’s authorized distributor in the U.A.E. Ocean Power International (OPI) assisted Drydocks World and Dredging International (DEME’s subsidiary) in the replacement.