Cat medium speed power for towboats

One such recent project involved American Commercial Lines (ACL) deciding to repower six towboats, for which ACL has selected C280 engines from the Caterpillar Marine Power Systems range. According to Bill Foster, ACL maintenance vice president: “We are making significant investments in our fleet to improve reliability and performance. We selected the Cat C280s to help us achieve these goals.”

The first two vessels of the six, the J Russel Flowers and the Thurston B Morton, were repowered in 2012, with the assistance of Cat dealer Whayne Power Systems. Chris Coots, Whayne vice president and general manager, said: “We have established a very good relationship with ACL over the years and are excited about the opportunity to continue our business partnership with these repowers.”

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems inland waterway segment manager Jim Mundth noted, “We are thrilled to have been selected for the repower of these six ACL towboats and are proud to partner with ACL in achieving operational improvements.”

ACL has been operating three of its higher horsepower towboats since 1998 powered with Cat 3612 engines. The Cat 3612 engine, the predecessor to the C280, has proven to be reliable and durable. After 21 years of operating with the Cat 3612 marine engines, ACL’s Carol P received its first major overhaul in Paducah with the support of Whayne Power Systems. Following the overhaul and refurbishment, the Carol P was renamed Dan Jaworski, the change of identity being said to represent ACL’s new standards for performance, high operational efficiency and reliability.

Built upon the 3600 engine platform, the C280 is expected to continue to exhibit the same standards of operational efficiency and reliability. The C280 is designed to meet EPA Marine Tier 2 emissions regulations, to achieve which it features electronic unit injectors, high specific power output, an efficient brake specific fuel consumption, ease of serviceability, long overhaul intervals. Caterpillar claims that the engine family’s extensive field population, proven capabilities, and the company’s dealer support network make it well suited to the rigorous patterns of operation on the American waterways.

Caterpillar’s medium speed MaK engine family is now offering customers a repair and exchange parts programme, known as REParts. The development is said to facilitate an extensive list of repair and exchange options, and to provides identical performance and reliability to new parts at a cost saving of some 20% to 40%.

The company says that when marine engines require service, shipowners need to be able to return their vessels to operation as quickly and economically as is feasible. MaK REParts is claimed to provide a broad range of sustainable, in-stock parts solutions that can be ordered from MaK’s global network of distributors, and that are easy to exchange and install, enabling minimum downtime and increased vessel availability.

The reconditioned parts sold under the MaK REParts banner are original used parts that have been rebuilt to the same quality standards as new OEM components. Up-to-date salvage technology and careful quality control enables the parts to be returned to the original MaK specifications, providing same-as-new-performance and reliability. MaK REParts are said to comply with all applicable EIAPP and IMO requirements and to meet all current and foreseeable emissions regulations. The scheme is based on a similar offering, known as Cat Reman, for factory-remanufactured spare parts intended for the Cat brand high-speed marine engines. The MaK REParts carry the same warranty as new MaK parts.

The scheme is made possible through a recently-constructed MaK Service Centre, established by Caterpillar Motoren GmbH as an additional repair resource for MaK distributors and to provide specific components where needed. Caterpillar says it invests in overhaul capabilities such as its piston rechroming process for MaK REParts, said to be a unique service in the marine engine industry. The Germany-based global service centre is intended to ensure global consistency in reconditioned parts, and has proved so successful Caterpillar is building an additional 1,890m2 which is coming on stream during 2013.

The company points to the sustainability credentials of the MaK REParts programme, with genuine MaK parts often being rebuilt for a second life, adding value to customers’ investments, maximising engine productivity, lowering overall owning and operating costs and reducing the environmental impact. The initiative is claimed to reduce waste and to minimise the need for raw materials to produce new parts.