Weatherdeck Hatch Covers

Hydraulic Folding Types

technical information h2
Weatherdeck Hatch Covers
Hydraulic Folding Types
The weatherdeck hatch cover on a dry cargo ship has the following basic functions: in
the open position it provides access to the hold for loading and discharging cargo, and
in the closed position it seals the hatchway in a weathertight manner for transit in heavy
seas. With the progress of containerisation, the ability to carry substantial deck loads has
emerged as a new, essential function for weather deck hatch covers.
Introduction Co-operation Flexible deformations of the hull
It goes without saying that the hatch To achieve the best vessel for both the Stiffness of the hull / size of the
cover must be safe to operate, and owner and the shipyard, Cargotecs hatchways in relation to the deck area
it must be cost effective, both as an MacGregor experts are happy to join Deformations in port due to variable
initial investment and in service, i.e. the in technical discussions regarding loading (draught)
maintenance cost has to be low and the the hatch cover arrangement, and its Deformations at sea
service life long. implications on the vessels design, at
a very early stage of the project. Items Loads on the covers
Furthermore, the design of the hatch
which should be addressed in these Container arrangement
cover must suit the various general
discussions include: Stack weights
arrangements of dry cargo vessels. This
Project load
calls for a range of different designs GA of the vessel
Transmitting of forces to the hull /
in respect of size, loading, operating Main particulars of the vessel
necessary reinforcements in the hull
systems and sealing arrangements. Cargo specifications
Lashing arrangement
Number of holds
There are numerous criteria relating Need for partial/non-sequential
Tweendeck covers
to the design of a weatherdeck hatch opening of covers
Grain bulkheads / combination of
cover. Many contradictory criteria must Need for sliding container foundations
tweendeck & bulkhead
be applied simultaneously to the design. Handling of hatch cover panels by the
Cranes, location of the cranes
The balancing of the various require- container crane
Stowage space (length and height
ments calls for a wealth of experience. Timber load
restrictions)
In this respect Cargotecs MacGregor
Class, national authorities, applicable
solutions are second to none.
rules

Proven cargo access solutions for general cargo ships

- container feeder vessels
- open vessels for long cargoes
- paper/steel carriers
- project cargo carriers
- river vessels
Non-sequential/partial opening of container loaded covers
Smooth control by proportional hydraulic components
Long service life due to well selected materials
Worldwide after sales service

Consult us at the early stage of the project.

Folding hatch covers in operation
Operating requirements to a more open trend, i.e. the size of contributes to the flexible deformations
Necessary power the hatches compared with the deck of the hull. See sketch below.
Location of hydraulic power pack area is growing. This implies that there
The above flexible deformations of
and control stands is less stowage space available for
the hull result in relative movements
Running the hydraulic pipelines the hatch covers, which has made the
between the hatch cover and the
Operating forces high-stowing hydraulic folding covers
coaming, calling for special design
Arrangement of securing and cleating very popular. Hydraulic operation results
solutions for maintaining the
devices in smooth and positive control of the
weathertight integrity of the vessel
big panels during opening and closing
in all conditions, and keeping the
Main types of hatch covers of the cover. A major advantage with
maintenance costs under control. The
State-of-the-art hatch covers can be the hydraulic folding covers is the low
high deck loads on modern vessels
divided into three basic types: lift-away number of panels. Fewer big panels
further accentuate the situation. The
covers on container carriers, side-rolling are advantageous when designing the
implications of the design for relative
covers on bulk carriers, and folding covers for container loads.
movements can be seen in the sealing
covers on general cargo ships. However,
Relative movements between the arrangements, steel structure, and
folding covers can also be installed on
hull and the hatch cover bearing pads/stoppers, as well as in
geared bulk carriers and lift-away panels
The hull of a vessel always experiences operating-related components such
on general cargo ships. If stowage space
flexible deformations in rough seas. The as cleats, wheels, intermediate hinges
is not available, rolling covers (mostly in
bigger the size of the hatches in relation and end hinges. With a suitable stopper
the longitudinal direction) can also be
to the deck area, the more significant arrangement, the longitudinal and
built as stacking covers, i.e. two or more
are the flexible deformations, as well as athwartships relative movements can
panels are stacked hydraulically on top
their implications, on the hatch cover be controlled and divided so that the
of each other and the stack is rolled
design. weathertightness can be maintained in
along the coaming as the cargo work
all circumstances. This implies that the
requires. The large size of the hatches reduces
magnitude of the displacement does
the torsional stiffness of the hull and
There are dedicated MacGregor leaflets not exceed the allowed variation of
causes twisting and diagonal changes
for each type of hatch covers. compression at the water seal at any
in the hatchway, as well as warping
location.
General of the deck plane in rough seas. The
The objective of this document is to longitudinal bending of the hull or To ensure the most favourable hatch
give a general idea about the range hogging/sagging causes considerable covers for a projected vessel, the
of MacGregor standard folding covers changes in the hatch length. The third shipyard must be able to provide
available today, and to describe the major type of flexible deformation information relating to calculated
options available to the shipowner. is bending of the sides inwards and flexible deformations of the hull under
outwards. This not only occurs at sea different conditions as a basis for
With ever more efficient cargo working
but also in port when the draught MacGregor cargo access system basic
in port being the objective, modern dry
changes due to variations in loading. In design work.
cargo vessels are tending to develop
winter conditions the pressure of ice

Hull deformation at sea

Two-panel folding hatch cover Multi-folding hatch cover

Special adjustable and replaceable If the size of the targeted cargo calls for crank arms. They are long and strong
stoppers can be provided in order to longer hatches, a selection of multi- arms connected pivotally outside the
help installation and make wear and tear folding MacGregor designs suited to longitudinal coamings. The bell crank
repairs easier. the various cargo-working needs is arms interact with respective wheels on
available. The number of folding panels the first panel of the trailing pair, when
Operating arrangements
forming a functioning unit can be 2, 3, being pushed up by hydraulic cylinders.
The name hydraulic folding cover
4 or 6. By combining two units (stowing In the six-panel units there are two sets
refers, in MacGregor product range, to a
forward and aft) the total number of of bell crank arms. In the case of an
cover consisting of two panels which are
folding panels can be up to 12. The extremely wide hatch, the first bell crank
connected by hinges to form a folding
panels are connected by hinges to form arms can also be built into the hatchway
pair. In many cases the cover consists
pairs of panels. The pair connected to under the leading pair in narrow ships.
of two folding pairs. One pair is stowed
the end hinges is called the leading pair.
at the aft end of the hatch and the other As an alternative to the above external
The additional pairs of panels are called
forward. The folding pair is operated by hydraulic operating arrangement on the
trailing pairs. They are connected by
hydraulic cylinders acting directly on the multi-folding covers, the cylinders can,
intermediate hinges to the leading pair to
end hinge arms which are connected at in addition, be built into the hatch cover
form one unit.
stools on the deck. When the cylinders panels. This type of operating system
push the end panel up from the closed There are several methods of operating is called a link. The main advantages
position, the cover is folded and the the hydraulic multi-folding cover. The with link operation are that the stowage
second panel, fitted with wheels, rolls leading pair is most often operated space is shorter than when using
on the rails to the stowage position. as the folding cover, i.e. by hydraulic external hydraulics, the coaming can be
The panels are usually secured in the cylinders acting directly on the end built lower, and the function of the cover
open position by semi-automatic hooks hinge arms. The trailing pairs are is tested in the workshop, thus reducing
interacting with the wheel arms. often operated by hydraulic bell the installation time and cost on board.
Flush
foundation

Raised socket
dovetail

Dovetail
foundation
in channel

Raised
socket 110

Raised socket
in channel

Bell crank located at transversal coaming

It is, of course, possible to combine the stability calls for the use of high tensile to maintain weathertightness at sea,
two systems, i.e. external cylinders on steels in the main members of hatch the steel structure of a hatch cover
the leading pair and internal cylinders on covers. The size of the containers must adapt to the varying shape of the
the trailing pairs. Another opportunity dictates the arrangement of the main coaming top while the hull is working.
to increase the length of the hatch is to girders carrying the loads and conveying
The optimal stiffness of the steel
insert rolling panels between the folding the forces from the hatch cover to
structure of a hatch cover panel is
pairs. They can be towed by the folding the coaming and hull structures.
a compromise between the above
cover, thus opening the desired section The bearing pads transmitting the
issues. The correct stiffness is
of the hatch for cargo working. They can forces from the hatch cover to the
achieved by selecting the optimal
also be designed for lifting ashore by hull, in the predetermined locations,
proportion between the open web
container cranes. must be designed to allow flexible
and box construction, the double skin
deformation of the hull to take place,
Steel structure construction being the stiffest design.
while simultaneously maintaining the
The steel structure of a hatch cover is a
correct shape and position of the hatch Fixed container fittings
compromise between optimal stiffness
cover for weathertightness at sea. The fixed container fittings can be
and weight. Keeping the structure
Depending on the magnitude of the located on hatch covers, recess or flush.
simple, i.e. the number of components
relative movements, there is a range of
low, helps in keeping production costs Weathertight sealing arrangement
different bearing pad designs available,
in check, as well as facilitating the The traditional sealing arrangement
i.e. ordinary steel/steel pad, replaceable
production of high quality surface is made up of a water seal, which
steel pad or Flexipad (see separate
treatment of the cover. is pressed against the edge of a
datasheets).
compression bar. For the arrangement
Keeping the deadweight of the vessel
For stable and smooth operation of the to function correctly, there must
under control and maintaining the
cover, the panels should be stiff, but be a suitable sealing force and the
Cross joint sealing with Omega
Battening, sealing and bearing pad solutions Sealing and a Swing-seal

compression bar must be in the correct force over a wide range of deflections. the water seal and the counter surface
position in relation to the seal. The The rubber composition is designed prior to operating the cover, which can
above implies that the compression of to meet a number of criteria applied be achieved by adopting the MacGregor
the seal shall be within the specified simultaneously, e.g. low friction for Omega Sealing arrangement.
limits and the seal must be intact. The sliding, good wearing resistance,
Another alternative for non-sequential
position of the compression bar changes resistance to UV radiation, as well as a
opening is the MacGregor Swing-seal
while the coaming sides are flexing, wide temperature range. There are two
arrangement. Reference is made to the
which also causes dynamic wear and sizes of the MacGregor sliding Cat-seal
datasheet H1. If the multi-folding cover
tear on the seal. Hogging/sagging of the which can be used depending on the
is operated by internal hydraulics (link),
hull and warping of the coaming plane magnitude of the expected variation of
the trailing pairs can be designed to
at sea causes an additional challenge the compression in service. Reference is
allow partial opening at the meeting
for the sealing arrangement, i.e. the made to the datasheet H20.
joint.
variation of the deflection at the cross-
Partial/non-sequential opening
joints. Wheels, hinges and bearings
On container feeder vessels shipowners
All wheels are fitted with roller
We have dealt with the issues relating often want to open part of the hatch
bearings for reduced friction and easy
to flexible deformations in the hull and while the remaining part of the cover is
maintenance. Bronze is the material for
the relative movements between the loaded. Partial opening can be achieved
all other bearings (plain or spherical).
hull and hatch cover by introducing by retractable hinge pins and a suitable
The bearings are fitted with grease
the sliding seal concept. The sealing operating sequence following the
nipples and a remote lubrication facility,
arrangement is made up of a ridged 40ft container arrangement in hold.
where necessary.
seal section, the so-called Cat-profile, Non-sequential opening for the panel
which is pressed against a flat surface. joints may be asked for where lift-away Hydraulics
The seal is made of solid rubber material operation is requested (either rolling Aggressive weather conditions on deck
with a cross section of various cavities panels or one trailing pair). This calls call for specially designed hydraulic
for producing the desired sealing for the elimination of contact between components used in the hatch cover
Operation stand

The MacGregor standard pump unit

operating systems. Also, operational where, due to geometry, the speed to keep noise levels down, e.g. the
requirements, e.g. smooth accelerating/ increases. We have dealt with this motor/pump unit is installed on vibration
braking of the cover, dictate that the use problem by developing special control dampers and connected by flexible
of conventional components does not valves for hatch covers. hoses to the pipelines.
result in the best hydraulic system.
The manually operated valves are There is a range of standard sizes to
The effects of weather on hydraulic modular, with cartridge type pressure suit different capacity needs. Optionally
components appear to be mainly and flow control valves. This results a portable pump unit is available for
corrosion on the cylinder piston rods in swift spare parts deliveries from situations when the standard pump unit
and seizing of bearings. We have dealt stock and low maintenance cost. The cannot be used.
with these piston rod problems by using block design of the control valve cuts
Electrical equipment
stainless material on the whole rods, or down possible leakage and corrosion
The motor winding is used for the
in way of the top seal and wiper ring on damage. The superior flow control
standstill heating of the motors, which
big cylinders. For additional protection feature is based on valve spools, which
drive the pumps, i.e. the motors are of
of the piston rod surface, the space have been designed so that the stroke
standard type. The MacGregor starter
between the top seal and wiper ring is is long and the control lever makes
units are supplied as complete units.
fitted with grease nipples. The top of the a large angle at the opening/closing
The starter units of protection class of
cylinder is bolted to facilitate dismantling stage. This makes it easy to control the
IP 54 are fitted with running time limiter,
for maintenance purposes. speed at the critical stage. The valve is
running indication, high/low level alarm,
fitted with connections for the pressure
The bearings on both ends of the low level stop, high temperature stop
gauges to allow the setting of the
MacGregor cylinder are spherical and and electric filter clogging indication.
system.
made of bronze. This dramatically
extends the service life of the bearings/ The MacGregor pump units come with
pins compared with any other design. twin pumps installed below the oil tank
for redundancy and easy maintenance.
Good control of the operating speed
The pump units are fitted with return
is essential for safe operation of high
filters. An air cooler and a cooling/
stowing folding hatch covers. This
filtering pump option is also available as
applies particularly in the open position,
a retrofit. The pump units are designed
Cargotec improves the efficiency of cargo flows on land and at sea wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotecs daughter Cargotec Finland Oy
brands, Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are recognised leaders in cargo and load handling solutions around the world.
Hallimestarinkatu 6
MacGregor is the global market-leading brand in marine cargo handling and offshore load-handling solutions. Customer-driven FI-20780 Kaarina, Finland
MacGregor engineering and service solutions for the maritime transportation industry, and the offshore load-handling and naval Tel: +358 2 412 11
logistics markets are used onboard merchant ships, offshore support vessels, and in ports and terminals.
Fax +358 2 4121 256
Published by Cargotec Corporation. Copyright Cargotec February 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be [Link]
reproduced, stored, photocopied, recorded or transmitted without permission of the copyright owner. [Link]