Keller GmbH & Co

The delivery was made in October 2016 to be fitted on this extraordinary dredge vessel for Tianjin Dredging Corporation (TDC). Keller built the most essential part of the drive train: the cutterhead gearbox. In total the project involved gearing systems for two inboard pumps and an underwater pump, and a cutterhead gearbox with a nominal engine power of 5000 kW.

The self-propelled vessel, launched in November 2017 in Qidong, East China’s Jiangsu Province, is a staggering 140 metres long, has a width of 27.8 metres and is able to operate in depths of between 6 and 35 metres. Just imagine the pressures and the rough and abrasive environment this cutter has to operate in.

Larger cutters have longer ladders and thus are able to cut deeper than smaller ones’, said Marcel Wiegman, Managing Director at Keller. He continues: ‘There are not too many classified sealing manufacturers worldwide. In Lagersmit, Keller finds a partner that

• knows the operational conditions
• supplies quality
• is flexible
• provides the necessary support during design stage
• provides the necessary support in case of emergency.

We feel comfortable with the technical and quality package Lagersmit delivers.