Launched in 2009, the 515′ x 88′ oil/chemical tanker Celsius Birdie has thousands of bluewater miles under her keel. When it was time to replace a stern tube bearing, Guangzhou Shipyard International and owner Celsius Shipping chose Vesconite. The advanced high-performance marine polymer has a deserved reputation for long service life and proven reliability.
Unlike oil-lubricated lignum vitae, white metal and composites, Vesconite is self-lubricating, so there’s no chance of running afoul of environmental regulations. Additionally, because the polymer doesn’t require lubrication equipment, there’s less downtime for maintenance.
Ideal as a stern tube bearing, Vesconite offers a long wear lifeāeven in the dirty, silty waters of the Panama Canal. With low friction, any jarring torque on propulsion components is reduced.
Machining to exacting +/-0.001″ tolerances, Vesconite has high compression strength and dimensional stability. These are important qualities for the 25,399 DWT Celsius Birdie and its 600mm OD x 475mm ID x 1,900mm L stern tube bearings.
Vesconite is ISO 9001 accredited and bears type approval certifications from ABS, Bureau Veritas, China Corporation Register of Shipping, DNV GL, Korean Register of Shipping and Lloyds Register. It’s available as custom precision-machined parts or raw hollow bar, solid rod and plate stock shapes in a broad range of dimensions and thicknesses.
