Font Size: 

The need for electrically operated hatch covers (and other deck machinery) is clearly in demand by both ship owners and shipyards.

Compared with hydraulic versions, electrically driven side-rolling hatch covers are expected to be more environmentally-friendly, to have equal or better performance and to cost the same or less.

The main advantages of electric drives during the installation and during ship’s lifetime can be summarized as follows: fast and easy to operate, no pollution from hydraulic oil, maintenance friendly with simplified inspections, no pump and hydraulic pipes to fit, reduced need for installation skills due to cable installation instead of high pressure pipes and no hydraulic control stand installation required.

Environmental considerations and energy savings, eventually a necessary step for ISO 14001, effective shipbuilding process, remote diagnostics and maintenance friendliness are the foundations of the systems proposed in this paper.