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Bogie train positioned under ship on shiplift elevator prior to movement into transfer area on way to repair berth. PNOC Marine And Bardex Hydranautics Build World Class Shipyard The PNOC Marine Corporation facility at Batangas Bay in the Phil- ippines has experienced dramatic and rapid growth during its short five-year life. It has developed into a modern Lloyds-rated Class A ship- building and repair complex. Strategically located on a 50-hec- tare site at San Miguel, Bauan, Ba- tangas, PNOC successfully com- petes for business with the world's leading yards. In large measure, its position in the industry is based on an economical, tradition-breaking approach to yard outfitting which allows the yard to offer competitive prices for construction and repair work. PNOC Marine Corporation (PMC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Philippine National Oil Com- pany (PNOC). In 1974, PNOC ac- quired a shipping transport fleet to secure the movement of petroleum products. A repair and maintenance facility was planned to support the requirements of the fleet. In 1980, the support facility was completed as a fully equipped shipbuilding and repair yard. With its commission- ing, the corporation increased the national capacity by nearly 20 per- cent. Today, PMC services the domestic shipping fleet as well as foreign requirements. With its 1,000-plus work force, the yard undertakes construction and repair work (up to 23,000 dwt); dockside repairs of vessels with drafts of up to 40 feet; and engineer- ing works and fabrication of compo- nents, modules and prefabricated structures. In total, PMC has con- structed ten vessels and handled the repair of over 350 tankers, tug boats and barges since 1981. When designing the facility, PMC consulted with Bardex Hydranau- tics of Goleta, California for the most cost-effective yard layout pos- sible. The result has been an inte- grated facility that allows maximum scheduling flexibility, easily accessi- ble work areas, and utmost utiliza- tion of available space. A two-fold savings was realized in the new yard construction: first, in initial installa- tion costs and, then later, in costs associated with ship repair and maintenance. The centerpiece of the yard is a hydraulic chain jack shiplift eleva- tor and a hydraulic wheeled transfer system (bogie train) designed and supplied by Bardex Hydranautics. The lift is Lloyds-rated Class A with a maximum net lift capacity of 12,000 long tons. A total of sixty, 250-long-ton, hydraulic chain jacks lift the 28-meter by 172.5-meter platform in safe synchronized steps of one chain pitch at a time. The chain is a predictable tension mem- ber in terms of safety and long life. Using chain enables precise moni- toring of any deterioration from salt water corrosion by simple measur- ing and visual inspection. In designing the shiplift system, Bardex Hydranautics took into ac- count the many classes of ships anticipated at the yard. As a result, the platform can accommodate var- ied load distributions. The platform is lifted or lowered by a single opera- tor at a variable speed depending on the load. One of the most important fea- tures of the yard is the "pitless" wheeled transfer system that oper- ates in concert with the new shiplift system to service eight repair berths and a new construction/erection area having varying capacities up to 23,000-dwt tons. The bogie train (which can be divided for smaller ships) rolls un- der the blocked ship in the platform and is hydraulically jacked up to lift the vessel from the platform blocks. The train then moves the vessel off the platform onto the land rail sys- tem. During this transfer, the lift cylinders serve a dual purpose, that of lifting and load limiting. If an overload occurs on a bogie due to yard variations, the hydraulic-oper- ated cylinder on that bogie will retract to relieve and redistribute the load to the adjacent bogies, thus preventing damage to the wheels, bearings and vessels. To change the movement from longitudinal to lateral under full load conditions, the bogie train and vessel are lowered onto plinths which are carried by the train. All bogies are rotated for lateral or lon- gitudinal transfer. Under half-load conditions, the change from longitu- dinal to lateral movement is even easier since half the bogies can be arrayed for lateral and the other half for longitudinal transfer. All that is then required is hydraulic actuation to move the vessel into any one of the nine berths. The hydraulic bogie system saved on the amount of tract and structur- al steel required and on wheel costs. Further, the cost of excavating a traditional side transfer area pit was completely avoided. The Bardex system provides a hy- draulic interface between the ship and the yard level and allows a much higher yard level tolerance. The hydraulic interface can accom- modate tolerances of 2-inches. Al- lowing yard settlements in this range permits the use of crushed rock with ties for load spreading. In areas of settlement above tolerance, added rock can be worked in and under ties to return yard rail to within tolerance. Overall, the com- pany estimates that a traditional transfer system could have cost PMC 70 percent more. Foot and vehicular traffic can also move safely across the transfer area to any of the adjacent repair berths as well as to the new construction berth. Another key design element in the lateral transfer scheme makes use of portable longitudinal track that is lifted by the bogie train and carried with the ship on the lateral rails in the transfer area. When the ship has been aligned with the de- sired berth, the portable track is lowered by the bogie train and be- comes the longitudinal track on which the ship is moved into the berth. A. G. Mackay, PMC's vice pres- ident and general manager noted. "PMC has entered new shipbuilding and repair markets in 1985 with optimism and confidence in its or- ganization and equipment capabili- ty to meet the future." For free literature fully describing PMC's facilities and capabilities, Circle 92 on Reader Service Card For free literature on the Bardex Hydranautics shiplift transfer sys- tem, Circle 93 on Reader Service Card White Named Senior Vice President At American Systems Engineering Eugene E. White American Systems Engineering Corporation, headquartered in Vir- ginia Beach, Va., has announced the promotion of Eugene E. White to senior vice president in recognition of his major contributions to the firm's success and growth during the past four years. The announce- ment was made by Carl M. Albe- ro, president and chairman of the board. Mr. White is director of the Hampton Roads Division, managing $8 million in government and com- mercial contracts covering a variety of programs, from Navy ship over- haul and repair planning to training and technical assistance at public utilities and nuclear power plants. ASE's most recent award was a $2- million multiyear contract for engi- neering technical support to the Navy's Sea System Command De- tachment (PERA CV) for aircraft carrier overhaul planning and re- pair. Gems Sensors Expands Line Of Level Indicators— New Literature Offered Gems Sensors, Plainville, Conn., a division of Transamerica Delaval, has made available an expanded line of liquid level indicators for vir- tually any tank gauging problem in the chemical and process indus- tries. The company is offering a full line of transmitters including all-stain- less steel flange versions (compati- ble with most liquids) and PVC floats (for general use or high-vis- cosity liquids). These are available with 5-, 6-, or 10-inch flanges, or with l7/8-inch threads. Also avail- able are: miniature versions (up to 60 inches); and signal-conditioned versions (which interface with pro- grammable controllers, micropro- cessors or with a J-box output) used with the Gems meter/receiver which provides high/low alarm contacts. All-PVC, polypropylene, PVDF or stainless steel versions are avail- able. Other level indicators include a solar unit for use where convention- al AC/DC power is not available; a flexible roll-out linear insert for ex- tra deep tanks; or externally mounted indicators. For further information and com- plete literature on Gems Sensors' full line of liquid level indicators. Circle 41 on Reader Service Card January 15, 1986 29
