MacGregor has launched a new Balanced Lashing System. This reliable solution is designed to solve the long-standing industry challenge of uneven load distribution in container ship lashings.
“Our Balanced Lashing System answers the critical question of whether to prioritise safety or capacity by delivering both,” says Magnus Sjöberg, Executive Vice President, MacGregor. “It allows for a more intuitive lashing process while simultaneously boosting the vessel’s earning potential.”
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On conventional container ships, lashings often share loads unevenly, with upper lashings bearing the majority of the stress while lower lashings operate at only about half of their safe capacity. The Balanced Lashing System changes this dynamic by using proven elastic elements, materials used successfully for decades in hatch cover bearing pads, to distribute forces evenly across the entire lashing system.
Key Benefits of the Balanced Lashing System for shipowners include:
• Increased Payload: By evening out component stress, shipowners can achieve significantly better stack weights, enabling the loading of up to 10% more cargo on deck.
• Enhanced Safety: The system reduces the risk of broken container corners and lashing bar failures by eliminating peak loads on the upper turnbuckles.
• Operational Resilience: The integrated elastic elements act as shock absorbers, smoothening vertical impact forces caused by a ship’s rolling in extreme sea states.
• Simplicity and Efficiency: For existing vessels, the upgrade requires no hot works; operators simply need to replace the upper turnbuckle.
The system has already undergone two years of successful onboard testing with major partners. Far from a concept, it is already in active commercial service and has been ordered for over 100 forthcoming ships.
The Balanced Lashing System is now available for all container ships larger than 5,000 TEUs equipped with external lashing systems. It has already received class approvals from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), with Lloyd’s Register (LR) approval currently in process.