From 100 to 2,000 tonnes: four test benches calibrated to international standards for testing of lifting and towing equipment (photo: Damen)

Damen Anchor & Chain Factory (AKF) has announced the successful recalibration of its Lloyd’s Register-approved testing facilities. With the certification, the company can continue to offer proof load testing of lifting and towing gear to supplement its supply of anchors, chains and towing equipment for diverse maritime sectors.

The annual calibration involved AKF’s four testing benches: with capacities of 100, 300, 900 and 2,000 tonnes. The procedure was executed according to NEN-EN-ISO 7500-1 international standards by independent testing and certification specialist NMi.

Once again, AKF’s test facilities passed: all four test benches maintained their Class-1 certification. This means that the test benches had a deviation of maximum 1% during the examination.

Bearing in mind the facilities that the company has at hand, AKF General Manager Laurens van Gelder sees great potential for offshore customers to make significant cost savings in what still is a very calm market. “Our independent Lloyd’s Register-approved testing facilities are a perfect complement to offshore service suppliers in their search for a competitive pricing strategy.”

“Many companies bought brand new lifting and towing equipment for projects that have now been completed. Inspection and testing of such equipment is a very cost effective way to see if they can still be utilised for future projects.”

Besides proof loads, clients can turn to AKF for break load testing of their equipment. “This gives our clients the opportunity to actually witness the break load procedures together with the classification society,” continues Mr Van Gelder.

It must be noted that this most recent certification is just one aspect of AKF’s quality control policy. In March 2016, the company regained its ISO 9001 and ISO 3834 certificates – the latter being the highest possible guarantee of welding quality.

“Furthermore, we are also getting ready to add EKH certification to our portfolio. With this in place, we will be able to further serve our clients in the examination and certification of their lifting equipment.”

Tags: Damen Anchor & Chain Factory, Lloyd's Register