MacGregor maintenance services go the extra mile for optimal safety and efficiency

While safety and efficiency are designed into its load-handling equipment, MacGregor stresses that comprehensive systems service is critical to protect vessel crew, the environment, and the customer’s bottom line.

As a worldwide supplier of cargo- and load-handling solutions, MacGregor understandably counts safety as a core value for the design, development, and operation of every system it offers. Across a range of equipment designed to maximise efficiency and minimise operational risk, certain systems, such as hatch covers, play a direct role in ensuring a ship’s seaworthiness. Others – davits, for example – are used to support life-saving operations.

Yet according to Göran Johansson, MacGregor’s Regional Account Manager for the North Sea area, upholding safety standards is by no means simply a matter for system design and delivery. The company’s maintenance services are critical to ensuring its solutions continue to operate safely, efficiently, and in accordance with regulations for the duration of the vessel’s lifecycle.

“Most of our products involve heavy lifting, high pressures, and heavy-duty components, while some, like davits, are directly related to safety,” says Johansson. “So while all our systems comply with the highest safety standards, we are acutely aware that improper maintenance puts the ship, its crew, and the environment at risk. Keeping equipment in good working order is of paramount importance.”

MacGregor service engineers have unrivalled knowledge of the company’s products and are trained in line with latest regulations and class requirements. Moreover, in some cases, the safety performance of MacGregor systems, including the watertightness of its hatch covers and ro-ro ramps, has set the benchmark for class standards on testing and safe operation at sea.

Risk management

This is one reason MacGregor service agreements offer the best way to keep systems functioning optimally, says Johansson. By carrying out inspections and maintenance at regular intervals as laid out in a service agreement, MacGregor cuts unplanned downtime and reduces the risk of serious incidents. The company’s service agreements can include the scheduled delivery of spare parts, meaning that if a component fails mid-voyage, it can be replaced quickly and cost effectively.

“By anticipating faults and proactively addressing them, we minimise the risk of incidents such as injuries to crew or oil spills from faulty hydraulic equipment,” says Corrado Tabaton, Regional Account Manager, Mediterranean and Middle East. “Service agreements are about giving customers peace of mind. Our customers also benefit financially through reduced repair costs and maximised vessel uptime.”

Tabaton refers to a ship owner whose vessels had experienced frequent off-hire periods of several hours at a time due to persistent faults with their cranes and ramps. After signing a MacGregor service agreement, the customer was able to cut its off-hire hours to zero over an entire year, improving its reputation among charterers as a result, he says.

According to Johansson, another ship owner was able to dramatically reduce cargo damages with a MacGregor service agreement applying to hatch covers. This not only enhanced the company’s reputation but also ensured the quality of hatch covers was consistent across its fleet, he explains. “Now, when fulfilling an order, the owner can deploy whichever vessel is closest to the loading port rather than sending a specific ship regardless of its position. This has had a hugely positive impact on the customer’s fleetwide operational efficiency.”

Through-life care, anywhere

To maximise the value of their investment, MacGregor customers can opt to upgrade equipment halfway through its service life. “Our equipment is built to last for the full vessel lifecycle, and in that time, a lot can change in terms of technology and regulations,” says Tabaton. “We therefore offer upgrades in which we apply, for example, new, energy-efficient technology to an existing system to help the customer reduce operating expenditure and maintain regulatory compliance.”

MacGregor customers also benefit from the company’s global service network, which minimises delay and cost when a technician is required to travel to a customer’s ship. 

The value of having a local presence in major ports worldwide was emphasised during the Covid-19 pandemic, Johansson says. “With global trade continuing to rely on shipping during the pandemic, ship owners continued to rely on our services to keep their vessels up and running. Our extensive service network allowed our engineers to reach customers despite the complicated travel restrictions. It is reassuring for us and our customers to know that any similar situations in the future will not prevent us from providing our services.”

For less complex procedures, MacGregor can provide remote support by connecting to faulty equipment on board a customer’s vessel via satellite link. In this way, technicians in a shore-based office can identify the issue and help the crew to resolve it, eliminating the need for the ship to deviate from its planned route for repairs and saving the operator time and money.

Alongside remote troubleshooting, MacGregor offers condition-based maintenance through OnWatch Scout. Connecting onboard equipment to advanced monitoring systems, OnWatch Scout continuously analyses component condition. This enables users to plan maintenance activities more effectively, thereby maximising equipment availability and minimising unplanned vessel downtime.

As a standalone product, OnWatch Scout includes pre-installed maintenance manuals and system drawings, while all alarms include troubleshooting guidelines complete with illustrations and a list of required spare parts, helping crew to carry out basic procedures independently.

Training matters

Empowering customers to perform their own routine maintenance and minor repairs reflects a service approach that extends to crew training. For an increasing number of products, MacGregor offers virtual training simulators that allow crew to practise operating equipment in a safe and controlled environment, with a high degree of realism.

“Having people on board the ship who are well trained in the operation of its systems is essential,” comments Tabaton. “I would say that as many as eight out of ten incidents on board are due to the misuse of equipment, which can be prevented with proper training. This is why we invest heavily in virtual training simulators as part of our wider service offering.”

Ultimately, well-planned and -executed maintenance is critical to the safe and efficient operation of cargo-handling and life-saving systems, Tabaton stresses. “We believe that every single component of our equipment plays a part in vessel safety, with even the smallest loose screw in a ramp potentially compromising watertightness and preventing a ship from sailing. Our service offering goes the extra mile to ensure our systems function optimally at all times, for the vessel’s full lifespan, to help protect crew, the environment, and the customer’s bottom line.”