Epoxy resins are pourable compounds that become hard and durable once they have cured. They are very versatile and are used extensively in many industries and in many different applications. QuantiServ has gained considerable expertise in their use, both in the marine industry and on industrial applications and offers a wide range of turn-key grouting solutions to a variety of customers.
To shipyards and shipowners:
- Main- and auxiliary engine foundations
- Gearbox, line shaft bearing, and alternator foundations
- Other equipment foundations such as pumps, steering gear, etc.
- Installation of sterntubes and strut bearings
- Installation of pintle- and rudder bearings
- Protective coating of exposed tail shafts
- Etc.
To industrial plant owners and operators:
- Crane rail grouting
- Various equipment and skid foundations
- Chemical resistant flooring
- Etc.
- No need for precise surface machining and preparation
- High surface contact
- Ease of use
- Shortens construction time
- Fast application and fast curing
- Can be applied to any shape and direction
- Lasts the entire life of the equipment or structure
- Tough, hard, durable
- High compressive and impact strength
- Resistant to high temperatures and chemicals
- Maintains precise alignment
- High vibration dampening efficiency
Machinery and equipment foundations on board ships
When it comes to machinery foundations, epoxy resins have all but replaced cast iron chocks today due to their cost effectiveness and ease of installation. Compared to cast iron chocks, epoxy resins offer the following advantages:
- The installation is fast and straight-forward. No machining of the foundation is required.
- The contact area will be almost 100%, even on rough and uneven surfaces. This results in a low specific pressure, which in turn reduces the risks of fretting.
- They reduce high-frequency vibrations.
Unlike rubber (resilient) mounts, epoxy resins are resistant to a wide range of chemicals. They are very durable and are not subjected to creep.
Stern tube and strut bearings, etc.
There are basically two ways of installing stern tube bearings into a ship hull structure. One is to accurately line bore the bearing boss and then to shrink fit (interference fit) the bearing bushes. Typically, this is achieved with hydraulic jacks that are used to push the bearing bushes into the vessel’s stern frame and internal framing at the aft peak of the vessel.
The second way is to correctly align the stern tube in an oversized bore and to temporarily hold it in place with jacking screws, while the void between the stern tube and the ship’s hull is filled up with epoxy resin. To avoid air inclusions, the epoxy resin is usually pumped into the void from below while the air escapes through a venting bore at the top. Once the epoxy has cured, the stern tube and bearing bushes are securely locked in place. The jacking screws can then be removed.
If the design of a vessel mandates that the propeller shaft or rudder stock lies exposed to open seawater, then it should be protected against electro-chemical corrosion. This type of corrosion occurs in the presence of (sea-) water and air (or dissolved oxygen) and the usual way of avoiding it is to coat the shaft with a protective layer of fiberglass.
Epoxy resins are used in a wide range of industrial applications, both indoors and outdoors.
The two industrial applications that QuantiServ has worked on most frequently are the fixation of crane rails and equipment or skid foundations in petrochemical plants.
- Anchoring of the foundation bolts in the concrete supporting structure and
- Filling the gap between the sole plate (machinery foundation) and the concrete supporting structure
We particularly excel in the engineering and delivery of demanding projects and applications. The following pictures show one such case: An inclined equipment foundation in a large wood pulp plant in Sweden.
Trained Technicians
All our epoxy resin technicians are trained and certified to work with different epoxy resin materials. Our offering includes any, or all, of the following:
- Supply of epoxy resin, hardener and consumables (damming material, cleaner, …)
- Working out a chocking plan
- Calculating the correct tightening torques of the foundation bolts
- Assisting the customer to get classification approval, if any is required
- Executing the work at site (preparation, pouring, post-pouring work)