Main bearing failures in the spotlight

Data on the causes of main engine failures demonstrates that engine manufacturers and shipbuilders are not cooperating enough in the development of ship designs, according to the CIMAC users? group. Two thirds of main bearing failures are found on super long-stroke engines, typically found on tankers, which have flexible hulls and where the engine stiffens the aft end. “The provider of machinery and the builder of the hull have to sit together in order to sort out what requirements are needed in the building,” says J?rn Dragsted, chairman of the CIMAC users? working group. He adds that all engine designs share the problem and that the loading of main bearings of traditional white metal manufacture has to be addressed.