Vesconite Offers Self-Lubricating Rudder Linkage

Hydraulic steering systems and heavy seas can place enormous loads on a vessel’s rudder linkage, especially tiller arms and jockey bars. A bearing failure here means a loss of steerage, so metallic bushes need constant lubrication. This requires someone to go below to grease them—a dangerous and difficult task while underway.

Vesconite has introduced a self-lubricating solution for these specialized applications  that offers improved safety, load strength and dimensional stability.

“It’s really dangerous to send someone down to lubricate bushes when the rudders are moving,” said Leandro Panzini, general manager of Buenos Aires, Argentina-based Ves-Arg SRL. “We have many tug and pushboat customers who come to us with this safety issue. Once they switch to low-maintenance Vesconite, they’re very satisfied with the results.”

Vesconite doesn’t need lubricating, either by hand or an oiling system. Maintenance costs are reduced—as is the potential for an accident. It doesn’t swell in water and runs wet or dry without any stick-slip.

Vesconite machines easily with tolerances of plus or minus .001 inch. The company says it offers up to 10 times the usable life of bronze, even inside a dirty engineroom. ISO 9001 accredited, it bears type approval certifications from ABS, Bureau Veritas, China Corporation Register of Shipping, DNV GL, Korean Register of Shipping and Lloyds Register.