(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) — The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) has published an update to a guide for designing and successfully installing propulsion reduction gears to reflect current technology and best practices.
The update to the 1987 version of the "Guide to Propulsion Reduction Gear Alignment and Installation" is applicable for all sizes of power plants and vessels, including small craft, for commercial, naval or recreational use. It provides vessel owners, operators, designers, builders and gear manufacturers with definitive information helpful for designing and successfully installing reduction gears that will deliver long and reliable marine service. References are made to applicable standards with the focus on providing an understanding of the important concepts, elements, techniques and best practices in working together to achieve successful and practical installations.
The updated guide recognizes that the gear manufacturers have addressed a number of the major issues that the builders and installers of large ships used to have to work through. The guidelines address parallel axis gearing with both single and multiple input and output shafts and are also generally applicable to submarine gears, epicyclic gears, or to vessels with resiliently mounted gears.
Identified as Technical and Research Bulletin 3-43, the 33-page guide has been published electronically. Click here to order at the SNAME website (U.S. $40, $20 for SNAME members) or contact Michael Burgess, mburgess@sname.org or (703) 997-6714.
