Vulkan Couplings Equips Gateway
In September 2009, the suction dredger ‘Gateway’ was launched at the IHC Merwede Offshore and Marine shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam. The dredger, completed for Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V., has been fitted out with couplings from Vulkan Couplings. The Gateway has an overall length of 137 m, a width of 28 m and a hold capacity for dredged material of 12,000 m3 in total. The ship was designed by IHC Merwede in close collaboration with the shipping company. The focus was on keeping the ship’s weight to a minimum with a concurrent maximum hold capacity. The Boskalis suction dredger has a suction pipe with an underwater pump, which can suck at a depth of up to 62 m. In the dredger pump’s gearbox generators, three RATO-R couplings from Vulkan Couplings are used. The highly elastic RATO-R couplings are developed specially for use in installations requiring high torsional flexibility and good misalignment capacities. The Gateway, which is capable of 15.4 knots, is driven through its main drive by two Wärtsilä 12V32 engines with a power output of 6,000 kW. Vulkan Couplings supplied two RATO-S couplings for these engines. The highly elastic RATO-S universal coupling, with its segmented element configuration particularly distinguishes itself through its simple means of installation and fitting in the shortest possible installation length. Vulkan Couplings delivered two Vulkardan-E couplings for the jet pump’s electric motor.
In November 2007, IHC Merwede and Boskalis signed a contract for two identical dredgers. The Gateway’s sister ship is presently being built by IHC Dredgers in Kinderdijk. Vulkan will also supply the couplings cited above for this ship.