Astilleros de Mallorca incorporates new devices to increase yacht performance

Spanish refit and repair yard Astilleros de Mallorca has added two new devices designed to improve yacht performance and bolster its wide range of machinery. The propeller scan and the dynamic balancing machine are operational and will be used in projects as of this month.

Astilleros says its new Prop Scan E4 can measure the manufacturing or repaired accuracy on a yacht’s propellers in line with the international standard ISO 484-2.

A computerised measuring assembly with powerful software, the Prop Scan E4 allows the yard’s technicians to detect propeller pitch differences and bumps that are otherwise not easy to identify. This standard establishes four accuracy levels/classes:

• Class S: Very high accuracy
• Class I: High accuracy
• Class II: Medium accuracy
• Class III: Wide tolerances

The classes state, in percentage, the pitch difference between propeller blades at different radius and the pitch differences within each blade section. Less difference in blade pitch means a higher accuracy propeller.

In a release, the yard stated, “A higher accuracy propeller has a higher performance, reducing fuel consumption and the vibrations created.

“In addition, a high accuracy propeller will have no cavitation or will cavitate later than expected, so the blade erosion us highly reduced and the propeller working life is extended.”

Complementing the new Prop Scan E4, Astilleros has incorporated a dynamic balancing machine that allows its team to balance the propellers according to international standard ISO 1940-1.

This balancing takes care of the small weight differences between blades, considerably reducing the propeller vibrations, which if not correctly maintained may break the blades, requiring additional power from the main engines whilst also increasing their wear as they need to run at a higher range.

As a result of the accuracy analysis and balancing, Astilleros de Mallorca assures that the repair of a damaged propeller has been carried out as per the original design and specifications. It can also test and verify the accuracy and balancing of an installed propeller that has no apparent damage. If the accuracy is low – i.e. Class III or Class II – or the propeller is unbalanced, the team can improve its efficiency.

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