Honing series production –

At Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands, series production in the tug and workboat sector continues to be a primary focus. Dutch-based Damen Shipyards has vigorously pursued the principle of series production since it started trading in its present form in 1969. In recent years, production methods and scheduling, outsourcing of fabrication capacity, and expansion of the parent group have resulted in healthy order books and a highly competitive delivery situation. This has been particularly evident in the tug and workboat sector, where at least one vessel is delivered every week.

Controlled from its headquarters in Gorinchem, production methods are continually refined and individual products scrutinised and modified where necessary. A highly proactive approach to customer relations and market research provides the data necessary for the development of new designs and the updating of successful products, some of which have been in the Damen inventory for more than three decades.

A number of deliveries made in recent months highlight the success of that policy. One of the most successful designs in the Damen range is the Azimuthing Stern Drive (ASD) tug 3110, a highly versatile shiphandling tug produced in large numbers for clients in Europe, North Africa, South America and elsewhere. Over one hundred ASD tugs of this and other established types and derivations are already in service with harbour authorities, terminal operators and towage companies. These vessels are delivered from stock within three weeks of an order being placed. Similar delivery times are quoted for a number of other ?pre-fitted? vessels, including the well-established StanTug 2207 twin-screw tug and StanTug 1605 tug/workboat.

Such deliveries are becoming increasingly common. Damen now own most of the yards in Poland, Russia, Romania and the Far East, previously subcontracted for the production of hulls and major steelwork. Using the highly developed quality control and production methods first established in Holland, five of those yards are now used to partially fit or finish complete vessels. Assembly halls and other facilities are now in place, replicating those in use at Gorinchem. Such is Damen?s confidence in the products it offers that dozens of standard vessels, especially tugs are held in stock at Gorinchem and in yards elsewhere. Only hulls were stored in this way originally but more recently a range of completed tugs, of particular types, is available from stock. These vessels require only final painting, commissioning and the addition of customer options prior to delivery. Twenty complete vessels form part of the current order book, mainly comprising twin screw and ASD tugs of up to 55 tonnes bollard pull.

Pre-fitted tugs are already fitted with engines, auxiliaries and propulsion machinery, to a relatively high specification. Almost from its inception, Damen Shipyards have fostered a special relationship with Caterpillar for the supply of diesel engines, an arrangement offering clients cost advantages and worldwide after-sales support. Engines from the Caterpillar range are invariably chosen for pre-fitted stock vessels. In sophisticated shiphandling tugs, such as the ASD range, navigational and communications equipment is specified up to GMDSS Area 1 standard and can be upgraded on request. The

standard towing installation already in place can be readily

modified to suit a customer?s requirements.

To reduce downtime further, a whole range of additional equipment is kept in stock. Winches, deck cranes and other equipment is offered with almost immediate availability. This procurement facility is offered to customers requiring the rapid delivery of a well-tried vessel and as an alternative to the highly customised vessels still supplied to many new and established clients.

The first ASD 3110 tug to be delivered in this way, the San Ciriaco completed for Italian operators, was typical of this approach. A vessel of 30.82m in length overall, with a beam of 10.2m, the tug is fitted with two Caterpillar 3516B main engines producing a total of 4520 bhp. Power is transmitted to a pair of Rolls-Royce US 205 fully azimuthing propulsion units via Twin Disc MCD 3000 6HD slipping clutches. In trials the tug achieved a bollard pull ahead of 55.3 tonnes, astern 51 tonnes, and a free running speed ahead of 13 knots. The tug has towing winches fore and aft and is fitted for fire-fighting to FiFi 1 standards.

?Stock hulls? frequently enable Damen to react quickly to requests for ?standard? vessels with specific alternative machinery and equipment or with particular operating requirements. Any structural modifications to such vessels are carried out swiftly and efficiently, under cover, in the building halls at Gorinchem and elsewhere. This environment also allows painting and the installation of equipment to be undertaken under controlled conditions and without delays caused by weather.

A recent delivery of seven tugs to Enterprise Portuaire d?Alger (EPAL) was achieved by customising standard ASD 3110 hulls and installing machinery and equipment specified by the client. The resulting tugs, all similar in specification, are now operating in various Algerian ports and are delivered in a variety of different paint schemes, depending on location. All seven were fitted with MaK main engines, Rolls-Royce US 155 propulsion systems and Kraaijeveld deck machinery.

A higher degree of customisation is frequently required by the smaller tug and workboat operators, and much of this more specialised work is carried out by Damen?s Hardinxveld shipyard and the base of Damen Marine Services (DMS). Products such as the highly successful ?Multi-Cat? work vessel and the ?Shoalbuster? tug-workboat are controlled by this branch of the organisation. Vessels are frequently built to the account of DMS and bare boats are chartered to operators then sold after a very short period in service. A brokerage service is offered for an existing vessel, which comes close to a part-exchange scheme. An important feature of this and all other branches of the Damen approach to business is a comprehensive after- sales service. The large-scale series production of ?standard? vessels enables many common user spares to be delivered immediately from stock and teams of Damen technicians are available to carry out repairs and trouble shoot worldwide.

New products are continually introduced to fill new gaps in a developing market. The first of two prototypes of the new compact ASD 2411 shiphandling tug, designed for ?low manning? is now undergoing trials and testing at the Changde Shipyard in China. This yard was selected to spearhead this project when a market for this type of vessel was identified in the Far East and Australasia. A compact ASD tug, which is 28 metres in length and with a 55 tonnes bollard pull, is proving popular and

a compact 27m azimuthing

tractor tug design is under

consideration.