Page 55 - SMI Issue 62

predeccesors so finding ways to offset their costs are a key priority for owners. Netherlands-based Lankhorst Ropes recently launched a portfolio of services called ‘Through Life, For Life’ to help owners reconcile their costs. The services include the drafting of mooring plans, selecting and managing different products, the testing of ropes and how to train crews to handle them.The ‘Through Life, For Life’ portfolio “reflects Lankhorst’s commitment to green manufacture and sustainability which combined with a longer-lasting rope service life and, ultimately, rope recycling, creates levels of sustainability that contribute significantly to an operator’s environmental policies,” said Hans-Pieter Baaij, Lankhorst’s Commercial Director.Three of the company’s latest products are Eurofloat Premium, Tipto Winchline and Strongline fibre ropes. These are designed to prolong the average life of a rope – HMPE ropes last for between eight and ten years – and are easier to recycle than others thus helping to save on owners’ costs.“A rope’s characteristics are determined by the material it is made from – typically HMPE, polyester and other polymers or a mixture of all three – and their construction. They are then tailored to meet specific operator requirements – ie dry and wet cargo vessels, cruise ships and inland waterways vessels all have different rope requirements,” said Mr Baaij.The Piraeus-based Katradis Group has taken the technology a stage furtherwith its S-12 DB range of ropes. Made of UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight- polyethylene), they are treated with special coatings during a heat-setting process to enhance the yarns’ characteristics. The coatings also improve the rope’s structural stability and enhance its core and jacket.On some ships and in certain sea states, owners need to protect their mooring lines from abrasion damage. Katradis produces a braided sleeve called a NIKARopesIssue 70 2016 | The Ship Supplier | 53