In what marks a relatively new application for Thordon Bearings’ polymer material, Wilson Ship Management has replaced the greased bronze bearings on the hatch cover wheels of some of its dry cargo vessels with self-lubricating ThorPlas-Blue bearings.
Wilson, which operates Europe’s largest short sea fleet of about 130 general cargo vessels, has now converted eight vessels following the first retrofit to Wilson Weser in 2020.Further installations to Wilson Borg, Wilson Leith, Wilson Tees, Wilson Alster, Wilson Goole and Wilson Monsoon all took place in 2022 during scheduled drydocking.
ThorPlas-Blue was developed as a maintenance-free solution to replace bronze bearings and to remove the need for grease in ship deck equipment. The elastomeric polymer material is designed to withstand pressures up to 45MPa (6,527 psi), though installation experience suggests the material can withstand much higher loads, the company states.
