Machinefabriek De Waal is busy producing high-tech flapper valves, steering gear and propeller shaft installations for various coasters, including on behalf of Instalho B.V. for Hartel Shipping and De Bock Maritiem.

Sales engineer Matthijs Versluis: "The focus for these ships is on sustainability; they will all be equipped with diesel-electric propulsion. These will be high-quality installations with a few nice features: the flap rudders have a closed casing at the top and are equipped with a special mechanical pin connection for dismantling the rudder blade. The propeller shaft installations are equipped with a self-regulating seal that guarantees zero oil emissions. The steering gear is of the Compact type.”

All machining operations are carried out on the cutter bench.

Peace of mind

According to the sales engineer, De Waal can completely unburden its customers with its own engineering and service department, its own ship lifts and its own machine factory where everything is produced. The first installations were built in at the beginning of this year.

Machinist Bas Donker is busy with the flap springs.

Machinist Bas Donker is busy with them. "These flap rudders were designed by Machinefabriek De Waal itself. All machining operations are carried out on the cutting bench. We machine the flaps separately. The first rudder is now hanging under the coaster Saffier." According to Donker, working on these rudders is a great technical challenge. "We do it together, the engineers on the one hand and the technicians on the other. That collaboration is quite intensive, so it's real craftsmanship!"

Working on this flap mechanism is a great technical challenge.

- Bas Donker