DMC conducts 8,000th inspection: ‘A reliable service partner’

A special milestone for the Service Department of Damen Marine Components (DMC): it has conducted its 8,000th inspection. That honour went to the Lynn, part of the push-tow barge combination owned by Naviglobe NV. This wasn’t the first time that DMC had inspected the Lynn, and it won’t be the last. “We see customers coming back time and again.”

The 8,000th inspection is hardly over when Leendert Verloop is already being asked when DMC would be celebrating its 10,000th inspection. The Service Manager of DMC in Hardinxveld-Giessendam instantly started counting. “On average, we do between 320 and 350 inspections a year”, he says. “So we could get there in about six years’ time. That won’t be so long at all.”

In that case, the Lynn could well be the lucky one again, as this Naviglobe NV push-tow barge has been inspected by DMC’s service engineers since it was built in 2005. “We come back every time”, confirms Eric Suurland, technical superintendent of the Antwerp-based shipper/operator.

He sees the fact that the 8,000th DMC inspection was conducted on their ship as special. “It really is a milestone for DMC, and it’s nice that they’re giving this attention. As a customer, things like service, quality and reliability are priorities, and DMC offers all of those. It’s important to have a reliable service partner. In the end, that’s what gets you furthest. This is a positive partnership.”

Push-tow combination
Naviglobe NV is the shipper/operator of two company-owned inland shipping vessels and two maritime vessels (coasters), which are used to ship Clear Petroleum Products (CPP). The Lynn and the Lynn II, which together form the push-tow barge combination, have a total length of 172 metres. There are no longer many such push-tow barge combinations on European rivers. “They’re indeed fairly unique”, Suurland says. “Only a few are still sailing, and ours is one of the biggest.”

The Lynn dates from 2005 and has now been sailing for 18 years. At the time, the vessel was fitted with rudders and a control system of the former Van der Velden Marine Systems, which merged with DMC in 2018.

“But we also have a ship with no DMC systems, and DMC has sometimes conducted inspections of that too”, Suurland explains. “If we really need someone and I can’t get hold of an engineer, I call DMC and explain the problem. They then come quickly and help us to carry on again. Of course, I prefer not to call them at night, but I can if I have to. We sail in a delicate shipping area, between Rotterdam to the Moselle in Luxembourg, and there’s no room for navigation errors there.”

Accessible
This story sounds familiar to Leendert Verloop. “Our aim is to be available 24/7, or else to call back as quickly as possible. If a customer is at a standstill and cannot sail any further, we do everything possible to send them an engineer.”

Verloop and his Service Team derive a great deal of satisfaction from this. “A fast response is what we do it for. We can’t have a stationary ship. That costs the customer money. A ship with problems has to be able to sail again as soon as possible. That’s the most important thing, for the customer and for us too. Something like that gives us the greatest satisfaction.”

The DMC Service Department works with a team of about 20 employees. Apart from Verloop, the manager, there are also service coordinators who schedule the inspections and repairs, spare parts sales representatives and of course, the service engineers in the field. “It’s a team with a variety of skills”, Verloop says. “They range from electrical engineering to mechanical and hydraulic engineering, and from inspection and repairs to commissioning and modifications.”

Inspections
Naviglobe NV regularly has DMC on board for inspections. “Firstly, there is an annual preventive inspection”, Suurland explains. “Then we have an extensive service inspection every three years, and once every five years, an inland shipping vessel has to go to the yard for major maintenance. DMC keeps us, as a customer, well-informed about the latest developments. For example, if modification of the steering gear is needed and it’s possible to modify the equipment, they can do an upgrade during the very next service.”

The procedure for the annual inspections has no secrets for Suurland any longer. He has an example of the activities involved: “They include opening the control valves and checking whether they need new seals, adjusting the steering pump if necessary, if it’s a little out of line, checking the steering times and examining all the alarms and filters.”

“By now, the DMC engineers are so much at home with us that they don’t miss a thing. Sometimes they call me in to inform me about other things that they have come up against. Those aren’t major matters that can require paperwork, but minor things that the engineers are free to do in order to bring everything up to date again.”

Contact
Suurland regards the contacts with the engineers as pleasant. “The lines are short. They call me as soon as they receive the order: “How does it look, can I come this evening or when do you want me to come aboard?” And their work is appreciated. Once they arrive, our staff help them carry heavy items of their own accord. “Guys, DMC’s here with a heavy toolbox. Come and give a hand and help him on board.” That’s a good sign, of course.”

If it’s up to Suurland, that good partnership will continue for a long time to come. “DMC works honestly and correctly, including with the paperwork and certification. For instance, I never have to call back afterwards to ask where the certificates for the hoses are. They are open and transparent, including with advice and offers. For a customer, that’s great.”

Naturally, Verloop is glad to hear that. “We keep to our agreements, and that very often leads to good contacts and good cooperation. We’ve known some loyal customers for so long that they almost feel like neighbours, or family. We see customers coming back time and again.”