The fight between humans and nature is
never ending. Nature mostly wins but there are times when we humans
have also beaten it. And that is by taking preventive measures at the
right time. It is only our mistakes that make us weak. The biggest fight
against nature is seen daily in the maritime industry where ship owners
are seen struggling to make their ships water proof and weather proof.
Since the ships have to sail in the roughest conditions also, it is
important that they are sealed completely to remain unscathed during the
entire journey.
Hatch covers, a very valuable part of the ship’s body yet the most vulnerable to damages. They are used to provide coverings to the goods inside the cargo holds. They are used as protection just as a lid is to the contents inside a jar. Without the hatch covers everything inside the cargo holds would be exposed, their purpose is to protect the cargo holds from the moisture and water during the seas. But unfortunately the wear and tear and the bumping of goods (which are in hundreds of kilos) damage them and make ways for the water to enter.
As a preventive measure of the cargo holds, the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing provides the best results. It must be made clear that this procedure is only meant to find holes and gaps in the body and hatch covers that are hidden from sight. The ultrasonic device is a scanner which detects absence of protection in the body. As soon as it come across a hole no matter how miniscule it is, it gives off a beep telling the crew to take action. The device is now being applauded by the ship owners because it has saved them from other hectic methods such as the water hose and chalk method.
For saving time and having everything done in one go, the crew takes the ultrasonic scanner and start scanning every nook and cranny of the ship. Whenever they hear a beep on the device, they mark that area for repairs then proceed further. The number of holes can vary from ship to ship because it depends on its overall condition. In a brand new ship the entire test would be completed without a single beep by the device. But for a battered old ship, there would be a series of beeps. This is why it is best to start checking tightness of hatch with ultrasound when the ship is still new. This way it would be easy to always keep it leak proof and weather proof.
Hatch covers, a very valuable part of the ship’s body yet the most vulnerable to damages. They are used to provide coverings to the goods inside the cargo holds. They are used as protection just as a lid is to the contents inside a jar. Without the hatch covers everything inside the cargo holds would be exposed, their purpose is to protect the cargo holds from the moisture and water during the seas. But unfortunately the wear and tear and the bumping of goods (which are in hundreds of kilos) damage them and make ways for the water to enter.
As a preventive measure of the cargo holds, the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing provides the best results. It must be made clear that this procedure is only meant to find holes and gaps in the body and hatch covers that are hidden from sight. The ultrasonic device is a scanner which detects absence of protection in the body. As soon as it come across a hole no matter how miniscule it is, it gives off a beep telling the crew to take action. The device is now being applauded by the ship owners because it has saved them from other hectic methods such as the water hose and chalk method.
For saving time and having everything done in one go, the crew takes the ultrasonic scanner and start scanning every nook and cranny of the ship. Whenever they hear a beep on the device, they mark that area for repairs then proceed further. The number of holes can vary from ship to ship because it depends on its overall condition. In a brand new ship the entire test would be completed without a single beep by the device. But for a battered old ship, there would be a series of beeps. This is why it is best to start checking tightness of hatch with ultrasound when the ship is still new. This way it would be easy to always keep it leak proof and weather proof.
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