The marine lifting industry comprises a variety of port services involved in cargo handling, dry boat storage, repairs and other lifting services that involve raising, lowering and moving a load horizontally.

This is most often accomplished by specific types of marine lifting cranes, which can be fixed or mobile and installed on shore, a pontoon, or on board of a vessel.

Other kinds of marine lifting equipment include chain slings, load shackles, wire ropes, swivels and hooks.

Peculiarities of marine lifting are load value and working environment.

In the first case, marine lifting often handles vessels whose repair costs, in case of rigging failure, can run well into the thousands and even millions of dollars.

Marine cranes and lifting appliances are in fact considered high-risk assets, also due to the potential hazard to any bystanders.

Second, marine lifting equipment works in close contact with salt water, which means it needs to have spark-proof and corrosion-resistant characteristics over and above what is required of other types of cranes.

For these reasons, companies involved in marine lifting are bound by strict requirements concerning both the design and the regular inspection and testing of marine lifting equipment.

At Reliance Hexham we understand that our solution will become part of your business. Hence, we abide by the highest quality standards when it comes to developing and manufacturing products tailored for your application.

Specialised lifting

In addition to the above, we also produce a wide range of lifting beams, attachments, sheaves, chains, and other specialised lifting products custom-made to your exact specifications. Find out more about our manufacturing services.

Hooks

Hook manufacturing is part of our core business. We have full engineering and production capabilities to deliver bespoke hooks fitting your specific usage and requirements, including forging, profile cutting, heat treatment, and protective coating. Our team has extensive experience in hook manufacturing and has delivered specialised hooks with load capacity ranging from just a few to 110 tonnes and for a variety of applications.

Testing and certification are fundamental processes that should be carried out before every new installation and periodically hence after. Reliance Hexham tests and certifies marine lifting equipment for safer operations and makes sure it complies with industry standards.

Crane Audits

Our knowledge base includes comprehensive crane audits, as well as inspection and testing services for unusual cranes, such as marine straddle carriers. Inspections can be conducted either onsite or at our premises and include a full strip down and overhaul of the crane. We then proceed to crack tested it to find any signs of failure, both on the surface and inside. Once these are located, we design and replace any worn or broken parts, re-assemble the crane, and test it once again to assess the functioning of the unit post-operation. We recently completed this process for a marine lifting customer that is possibly one of only three businesses in Australia operating this distinctive type of equipment.

Our testing services include both NDT and DT type testing.

Non Destructive Testing

Proof Load Testing

Proof loading entails verifying the fitness and resistance to strain of a load-bearing structure. Reliance Hexham is certified by NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities) to perform Proof Load testing for the evaluation of load handling, rigging and tensioning systems, from 400kg to 195 tonnes.

Liquid Dye Penetrant Testing

Liquid Dye Penetrant (Dye-Pen) testing can locate surface cracks on any non-porous materials such as metal or plastics. It can be used to spot fatigue cracks on in-service equipment, or on equipment that just went through a proof load test.

 Magnetic Particle Testing

Magnetic Particle testing is similar to Dye-Pen, but uses magnetic particles to detect cracks both on the surface and within any equipment composed of ferromagnetic materials, typically iron or steel.

Function Testing

Function testing assesses the operational safety of equipment within its broader system, under an array of simulated working conditions. The objective is to verify that safety mechanisms work and spot any potential points of failure. FCT is crucial for critical pieces of equipment which may provoke serious damage if faulty.

Destructive Testing

Marine lifting equipment may deal with potentially frail loads and the safety of personnel and bystanders. Hence it may be advisable to test some components via destructive testing methods to adequately cover your bases. Reliance Hexham is NATA accredited to perform the following Destructive type tests:

• Breaking Load testing for the evaluation of load handling, rigging and tensioning systems (0.4 tonnes to 195 tonnes);