Tightness Testing Allows Safe Voyage

Business activities have now expanded the borders of continents. One company situated in one continent is engaged in business deals with another company situated in another continent. Trade between them takes place in many forms and the goods are supplied via air or sea transport. The medium in between i.e. the one providing logistics to the both parties is responsible for protecting the goods. The cheaper medium of transport is via sea route or also termed as the maritime industry. Sending goods through air is fast and expensive, but it has a limit of weight an airplane can carry.

When goods are being transported for business purposes, the first choice of both the parties is the sea route because it is cheap. But a ship cannot travel at the speed of an airplane hence it takes more time to deliver. Also the customs and clearance tasks can take an extra day or two. Goods while being shipped are at a risk of getting damaged by the water. Since a ship has to sail for many days or even weeks to make a delivery, it needs to be completely sealed. There should be no leak in any part of the ship or else the goods can be water damaged.

To ensure that the goods remain safe during the voyage, the ship’s crew checks tightness of hatch with ultrasound. As we know that hatch covers are used to seal the open cargo holds, they act just the way a lid does for a jar. It seals the insides and keeps the goods inside safe and dry. The extremely humid air of the seas can easily damage the covers of goods which are mostly of hard paper. Cardboard and wooden boxes are usually used for packing goods and both of these are easily damaged by humidity.

During the voyage a ship can encounter sea storms. The high waves and the uncontrolled rain wets the entire ship like it is a part of the sea. If there is any kind of leak in the ship’s body, it can easily allow a path to the water to enter. After the water has entered in the cargo holds, there is no limit to the damages it can cause to the goods. The ship’s management is keen to take a test of hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing before and after every voyage. It helps them to maintain a standard in their transport business and also provides peace of mind to their customers.

Customers Rejoice Leak Free Ships

The new policies for transport ship owners announced by the authorities have been praised by the customers. It ensures that the transport ships will now have to focus more on the protection of the goods they carry. It cannot be proclaimed that the results will be hundred percent, but we are sure to see a gradual decline in the claims filed by frustrated customers over water damage.

Claims for damages against water penetration have risen to such an extent that it put the industry under a huge question mark. The authorities were nagged by the receding condition of the quality of the ships carrying precious goods. While companies claimed to have furnished their clients by paying money against their damages, clients have pushed the fact up that such compensations were ruining their businesses. The receiver at the other end does not wish to put up faulty products for sale in his stores. While sending faulty products is not the intention of manufacturers, receivers complained of failing to earn the profits they had dreamed of while ordering those products.

With the complete checking of tightness of hatch with ultrasound by most ship owners and captains, most of the ships are now in the best condition to sail. The ultrasonic tightness testing device provides knowledge to the crew about the areas damaged. The damages can be of various reasons such as corrosion or bumping of a heavy object. Whatever the cause may be, the final stage of damage is when the sheets are completely rusted and holes are created in it. These holes are the perfect places for water to get inside and damage the goods inside.

It is not right to put the blame on water for the damages. Water does not break products or even toss them around. The goods that are not wrapped in plastic get soaked to such a level that their wrappings are worn off or torn off while lifting them. The products inside their wrappings get soaked in the water and they either lose their color (in case of garments especially), or they rot (in case of food items). Electronics can get a short circuit which damages the parts inside.

Since a lot of captains have ensured that the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing is done before every voyage, a lot of holes are removed before they can be the cause of letting the water in. Since this process not only saves time and money (claims filed against damages), many ship owners are attracted towards it.

Check Tightness of Hatch with Ultrasound Even On a New Ship

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.

Authorities Discourage Faulty Ships to Sail

Making ships safe for transportation has been the agenda for many years now. But without proper tools this agenda would be missing a major piece of importance. That is why a lot of research has been done in order to come up with the best tool that would enable the crew to find lurking holes and gaps. Apparently the hatch covers of a transport ship are the weakest. They can easily get corroded and also develop a series of minute holes or even a gap between the fittings. All of these damaged areas can be the reason of water entering inside and damaging all that is being transported.

In an attempt to overcome the leaking issue, it has been proven that checking tightness of hatch with ultrasound provides the best results. The ultrasonic hatch cover testing device easily detects all the areas in the ship’s body that could be a threat to the safety of the goods being carried. While the ship sails on the vast oceans, the humid air must be completely locked out. Humidity can damage the packing of the goods which is mostly of cardboard. Cardboard easily sucks in wetness even from the air around it.

Each year thousands of customers file claims against their shipping companies. The basic reason mentioned is, damaged goods due to excessive wetness. The cases regarding manhandling of goods are also related to the wetness issue. As the covers get wet they break or tear off when lifting them out of the cargo holds. When the customer sees a torn cover, he automatically assumes that his consignment was handled badly and that the goods inside would be as good as wasted. Issues pertaining the wetting of goods on the transport ships is giving the industry a bad name which it does not deserve. Because a few ship owners do not pay attention towards hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing, the entire industry gets stewed for their acts.

To discourage ship owners from sailing with battered ships and faulty hatch covers, the government of the United States has imposed fines and penalties. But one can never be sure where and how the goods can be damaged especially if they are swapped in some other destination. At times when the port is not big enough to allow a huge ship to dock, the goods are transferred to a small ship which brings them to shore. This practice is rare, but it can happen.

Ultrasonic Tightness Testing Removes Every Hole

Security and privacy in public places and offices is a growing concern these days. While there are so many spying gadgets available at cheap prices, no wonder who might be eavesdropping on your conversation and get you in trouble. Business rivalries have taken a bad shape now and competitors will pay anything to learn an inside story. Knowing about a rival organization’s plan in advance can easily enable them to sabotage the campaign.

This is the very reason today more and more companies are seeking to have soundproof conference rooms, which would allow the members to shout and scream, and still not be heard outside by anyone. A room where they can hold meetings in peace and express their views knowing that no unauthorized person is listening to them, even the bell boy standing outside wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. And today many huge companies have become successful in acquiring these rooms with a list of many others willing for the same.

It was a challenge for the architects at first until they started using the ultrasonic hatch cover tester. By using the same technique that is used to detect the minor holes in the ship’s hatch covers, they (the architects) have managed to build sound proof rooms for their customers. The first customers that required these rooms were mainly the government. These rooms can be easily seen in:

• The interrogation rooms at a police station.
• Meeting rooms in high government buildings such as the white house.
• Operation theaters in hospitals.
• Courts where criminals of the highest degree are tried.
• Intelligence buildings, where secret plans are discussed and implemented.

These are just some of the places that anyone can agree with. We have seen a lot of these rooms in action in the Hollywood movies. By checking the room after finishing just as they would check tightness of hatch with ultrasound, the builders can learn about the holes they have missed. It makes it very easy to locate the minute holes and gaps which can never be seen by the human eye. If these holes and gaps were left unfilled, they would easily work as an outlet for the noise.

To ensure completely that nothing has been left out, the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing is repeated several times. Even after the tests are all clear they are repeated for days. Risk cannot be taken with such rooms as classified information can never be risked.

Ultrasonic Tightness Testing Gadget Does Wonders For the Industry

Fighting leaks is the biggest fight being fought by the maritime time industry today. No matter how big or small the ship is, leaking hatch covers have doomed the industry like nothing else. Millions of dollars and goods are gone to waste when water enters the cargo hatches. Many shipping companies are paying more than they actually earn in terms of claims filed by angry customers for the loss of their goods.

Hatch covers, despite being a protection for the cargo hold can be the biggest problem when leaking. They allow the water to ingress in drops or powerfully even though they are considered to be tightly shut. The water starts causing havoc once inside and it can only be known when the hatch covers are finally opened at the final destination. Until then, the damage cannot be reversed.

It is necessary for the staff to check tightness of hatch with ultrasound before the ship sets sail. With the help of ultrasonic hatch cover tester, the pressure of the protective pads and the integrity of the hatch hovers are determined with it. At times when the pads are often worn off, they do not appear to be in a bad shape to the human eye. They may look not too bad but actually they have been finished, and this is what causes the water to find a way in even when the hatch covers are tightly shut.

A few years back the ultrasonic hatch cover testing was not too popular. This meant that the ships either sailed without any tests or they had to endure the painfully long manual procedure which is popularly known as the water hose testing. In this test water from high pressure pumps was fired on the deck and the hatch covers. The pressure made the gaps widen enough for the water to find a way inside the cargo hatch. It indicated that there are really leaks in the hatch covers or the deck. But the problem was that it was never clear where the gaps where actually hidden.

Today with the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing the problem to learn about holes and gaps is not only solved with the gadget, but it clearly indicates where they are. This has allowed the testing to be fast and precise. The repair works can be easily asked for in just the damaged areas rather than ripping everything apart. It clearly saves money and time which are both valuable for the maritime industry.

Ultrasonic Tightness Testing Essential for a Healthy Ship

A survey conducted in the maritime industry reveals that most of the complaints and claims filed by the customers are due to damaged goods from water. A lot of goods are damaged during the voyage when water enters in the cargo holds. Water enters when huge tidal waves splash the deck and almost every area of the ship. Water enters inside the cargo holds when the ship gets caught in a storm and the powerful rain and winds create pressure on the ship. Water gets inside from the highly humid air of the sea. Water droplets present in the air can easily soak the wood and paper boxes. These kinds of issues are the reason why the ship’s cargo hold is mostly affected during the voyage. The customer is seriously disappointed to learn that his consignment has been destroyed due to water.

To protect the people’s goods on board, it is necessary to check tightness of hatch with ultrasound before sailing. Most importantly it should be checked before loading the cargo inside the holds so that if anything wrong is detected it can be repaired. Worldwide trade is expanding very fast and there is a huge demand for more and more transport ships to manage it all. Since there is a limit to transport companies what they can invest and a transport ship costs in millions of dollars which is not easy to invest. The ships already present have a huge pressure on them to sail as much as they can in a year. This keeps them all on a very tight schedule and does not buy the owners enough time to send them on long repairs.

A repair work can easily take weeks since the ship has to undergo many tests including the hatch cover ultrasonic tightness testing before a repair company can give an estimate. Depending on the model and the condition of the damages, the bill can easily reach to thousands of dollars. Bearing the hefty repair cost and the loss of money by not being present to sail, ship owners often keep pushing the repair works for later. Ultimately it starts getting worse for the trade because water gets to find more ways of entering and damaging goods. There are certain criterions that define the health of ship and when it fails each of them, the ship is deemed unfit for sailing and should be repaired. Unfortunately we see a lot of violation in this regard and is the reason why a lot of leaking ships are still in business.