In-place machining of propeller shaft seal liner in drydock
USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) propeller shaft seal liner machining in Boston
Goltens was contracted by Boston Ship Repair to inspect and conduct in-situ machining of two propeller shafts on the USNS Soderman. Having completed similar repairs on the shaft seal liners on the USNS Sisler (T-AKR 311), the USNS Watson (T-AKR-310) as well many other times on various other types of ships around the globe, Goltens was very familiar with the repair and immediately mobilized tools and in-situ machining specialists to the drydock.
As with the repairs on the other Watson Class vessels, inspection revealed that the shaft seals had worn channels in the ~850mm diameter shaft seal liner surfaces and the journal surface needed to be machined and polished in-place within maker tolerances for the seals or the shafts would need to be removed for the repair.
Goltens inspected the shaft seal liners, completed measurements and mounted the tools to complete the reconditioning of the journal surfaces with the least amount of material removal possible.
USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) in drydock in Boston
Scored surface of shaft seal liner (pre-machining)
Machining Rings installed on shaft
Technician on staging readying in-situ tooling on shaft
Machining the shaft seal liner
PROJECT FACTS
| USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) | |
|---|---|
| Ship Type: | Large, Medium-Speed Ro-Ro |
| Port Avg. Dia. Pre-Machining: | 850.53mm |
| Port Dia. Post-Machining: | 850.05mm |
| Starboard Avg. Dia. Pre-Machining: | 850.50mm |
| Starboard Dia. Post-Machining: | 849.77mm |
| Port and Stbd Journal Length: | 110mm |
PROPELLER SHAFT REPAIRS
- Machining starboard propeller shaft seal liner from an average pre-machining diameter of 850.50mm to a finished diameter of 849.77mm.
- Machining port propeller shaft seal liner from an average pre-machining diameter of 850.53mm to a finished diameter of 850.05mm.
- Finish polishing of port and starboard propeller shaft seal liners.
IN-SITU MACHINING RESULTS
Final results were inspected and accepted by Wartsila and Shipyard within the scheduled time for the repair.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL:
“Without Goltens’ in-situ machining capabilities, the vessel owners would have been forced to pull both propeller shafts to change out the seal liners. Goltens’ Machinists were able to bring the seal liners back into specification saving weeks of additional downtime and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional repair costs.” -Boston Ship Repair Project Manager
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