Mr. Morrish

I agree with Helmut. Shiploaders should have an annual detailed inspection. I serviced a 20+ year old shiploader for a few years.

The inspection content should be supplied by the designer. Generally, these big machines are broken down in "packages". Each package has a specific routine depicting what to inspect and how including the average man hours required per package and if the inspection requires machine shutdown. The machine I used to service required 1000+ man hours of inspection which were contracted with a third party. The inspection concludes with a depicted report indicating preventive and corrective actions aswell as trends (as in monitored cracks that grow over the years).

In addition to this, I would suggest a NDT program particularly aimed at inspecting bearings in joints. Most shiploader have pivot joints with "maintenance free" bearings. It would be important to check noise (db levels) in the bearings and a programmed grease and lube refill (if the bearings allow).

Slew bearings are another key issue that need dedicated maintenance and inspection. I would advice on an automatic lubrication system electronically controlled which delivers a specific amount of grease in say 20 points around the bearing every 30 minutes. Once a month a sample of grease needs to be taken to be analized by a certified lab. Metal particle content (size, quantity and chemical composition) can be indicative of slew bearing wear and life expectancy.

As for dust control to avoid marine pollution there are a few pointers. In as much as possible, the area under the belt should be covered so that spills can accumulate rather than fall out to sea. Access walkways should have covered grating. If those actions are taken, you need to have a way to remove the buildup constantly. This could be done by havind dedicated crews with brooms, shovels and plastic bags which would constantly remove excess material. These people should be carefully trained and monitored to avoid accidents with moving components. Beware of excessive buildup which could pose overloads and failure of gratings or the like.

The other option to consider is the "super sucker". The super sucker is a system to remove all buildup but it may be very complicated to maintain. It consists of a series of pipe layout throughout the shiploader. The idea is to have many flanges connecting to the pipe layout distributed in key buildup areas of the machine. The pipe layout has exit points where a truck with a big suction pump can park near the shiploader. In the event of a buildup, the truck arrives, and connects to the pipe layout. In the mean time, a small crew connect a hose to the flange closest to the buildup and sucks it up. The system sound ingenious but it's difficult to maintain. You have to guarantee no leaks in the pipe (otherwise you loose suction pressure and the system may plug). In addition to that, if the site is located in a high corrosive environment, pipe can degrade rendering the system unoperational.

My site installed the super sucker years before I worked there. We couldn't make it work. Corrosion and leaks ate us alive.

If you can get it to work, I can assure you senior management will lay at you feet; otherwise, your new nickname could be "super sucker". The risks may be high but sometimes its better to take them. Environmental sanctions to loadout operations could be very damaging to the company's reputation.

Regards, ■

Hello James

The principal method of keeping the machines going past their design life is to conduct annual structural integrity inspections including ultrasouns, mag particle and rapid scan methods in critical locations. this takes about two days.

More impact on your loading schedule would be the shut down time to conduct the repairs that tend to be recommended as a consequence of the inspection.

Another step now being recommended for these machines, and is now even legislated for cranes, is to conduct a reanalysis of the machine for the purpose of advising its relationship with the requirements of moderns tandards and to recommend ways of controlling the risks newly identified and advised in the newer standards. This revalidation of design may also lead to further work and reinforcement.

Sometimes, it becomes cheaper to put in place long term capital plans for the eventual replacement of the machine.

regards ■