Royal Bodewes has contracted Damen Marine Components (DMC) to supply steering, control and propulsion equipment for four vessels. It involves three Eco Traders and one Ro-Ro vessel, to be delivered in the coming two years.
The first contract is for the steering gear and bridge controls for an 87-metre long Ro-Ro vessel currently under construction at the Royal Bodewes shipyard in Hoogezand, the Netherlands. DMC expects to deliver this project within the next two months, ready for vessel commissioning later this year.
The remaining contracts are for the steering gear, bridge controls and propeller nozzles for three 120-metre Bodewes Eco Traders (9000-DWT general cargo vessels).
Also read: How DMC redesigned the Optima nozzle to provide more thrust
Plug-and-play steering gear
One of the most notable aspects that these four contracts have in common is the steering gear; an electric-hydraulic driven system which controls the position of the ship’s rudder.
‘We have designed our steering gear with a plug-and-play philosophy,’ says DMC sales manager Marnix de Bruijn. ‘This means that we manufacture and install the equipment onto a skid in our own factory in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands. There it can be FAT tested, witnessed by a class surveyor as required, before it is placed on board the ship. All Royal Bodewes has to do is to connect the hydraulic and electrical supply – this saves a lot of time and energy on board.’
Also read: Damen creates custom rudders for new German frigates
