Engine stud removal cases increase
Seized variable pitched propeller blade stud being removed to enable replacement of seals
UK-based engine repair specialist Foretract Engineering reports that during 2010 the company noted a steady increase in demand for its marine stud removal service.
According to Foretract’s Gavin Aris, although other work remained steady, the company has seen a marked increase in the number of enquires for marine cylinder head stud removal. Aris attributes this increase to an increased incidence of stud failures on newer (less than 10 year old) engines, along with the growing awareness of the company’s service among engineering superintendents and chief engineers looking to minimise out-of-service time for their vessels.
Foretract says it has developed new in-house manufactured portable spark erosion equipment that enables its technicians to remove studs that are broken deep in the engine entablature to be extracted remotely without the need to remove cylinder head, liner or auxiliary pipe work etc. This means that the entire operation can be carried out without disabling the main engine during short routine turn around periods and, Foretract guarantees success without damage to the threads in the hole.
Foretract’s technical database records most engine models ranging from high speed four-strokes as used for gen-sets to large low speed two-stroke main propulsion engines. This allows the company’s engineers to arrive at the ship with the correct equipment. The company says it has approved supplier status with most of the major marine engine manufacturers as well as many well known engine repair companies. The company has sets of equipment located at major shipping hubs worldwide, in order to speed up response times and reduce transport costs; the network is currently being expanded. Foretract coordinates its worldwide services through its central office and workshop in Cumbria, UK, where full engineering back up is available for one off specialist applications.
The general-purpose heavy-duty equipment, operated from a service vehicle, is backed up with newly developed light weight equipment that can travel as baggage on commercial flights, which can be used to remove studs up to M60, making it suitable for most medium speed engines and some smaller two-strokes. This offers the possibility of a rapid response for ships in locations where local service is not available.
Apart from routine broken engine cylinder head stud removal, Foretract says it is frequently asked to assist with a variety of stud removal issues that can involve adapting our standard equipment for one-off jobs involving removal of seized or broken studs in tight access locations, or studs made from difficult to drill hard or exotic materials. Some examples of these situations encountered have been on ships stabilizers, propellers, water jets, turbochargers, submarine valves, engine holding down bolts, and two- stroke exhaust bellows flange bolts.
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