Wärtsilä Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal Launched

Wärtsilä, the marine and offshore industry's leading solutions and services provider, introduces an innovative new seal that can be fully serviced underwater, without setting up a habitat. The new Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal is the first product of its kind on the market, offering customers increased uptime and lifecycle efficiency.

Wärtsilä Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal is a fully split, underwater serviceable seal that minimises overhaul downtime and costs. Designed and built to the highest standards, the oil-lubricated outboard face type seal is available for stern tubes and thrusters. The seal has been designed to provide a smoother, faster service, as well as enhanced overall performance and endurance.

"We are very excited about the Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal, as it is the first fully diveable seal on the market. We at Wärtsilä understand that the first priority of our customers is uptime, and they naturally want to avoid unnecessary disruptions. This innovative new seal is yet another Wärtsilä solution to optimise the operations of our customers: overhauls can be carried out underwater for the Sternguard IWSS without having to set up a habitat or even to unload the cargo," Damian O'Toole, Director, Seals and Bearings from Wärtsilä says.

Flexibility and reliability in the same package

The Wärtsilä Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal can be used to retrofit any other type of seal and is available for merchant, offshore, IWW and cruise & ferry vessel types, running on Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) or mineral oils. Retrofit and service in dry dock can be carried out without removing the propeller or shaft, and it is not necessary to drain oil from the stern tube for underwater overhaul. The Sternguard IWSS also includes an inflatable emergency seal and inner rope guard for enhanced protection.

"With its easy retrofit and serviceability, this unique new seal offers flexibility of operations to customers across industries. At the same time, additional safety features ensure continuous reliability. Wärtsilä has a long history in designing and manufacturing first-rate seals to answer the needs of each and every customer segment, and the Sternguard In-Water Serviceable Seal is a fresh example of that expertise," O'Toole concludes.