There are many well-known and respected deck equipment manufacturers around the world but one really stood out in 2020. So many of the tugs and other craft that we reviewed were equipped with DMT winches and other deck equipment that we couldn't help but take notice.
This was especially so when you see the naval architects, shipbuilders and owners that are specifying DMT. With names such as Robert Allan Ltd, Sanmar Shipyards, Svitzer and many others all expressing confidence in DMT, there was little room for discussion when making our Best Towing Winch award for 2020.
If you refer to recent Baird Maritime tug reviews featuring DMT's towing winches, such as of Bogacay XXXVIII, Italia, Odin of Scapa and Thor of Scapa, you will see the trend.
DMT Marine Equipment is headquartered in Galati, Romania, and has branches in the Netherlands, Ukraine, China, Russia and Turkey, so service is not a problem. The fact that the company has equipped more than 2,700 vessels in its comparatively short life says a lot. DMT offers practically every imaginable kind of high quality deck equipment.
"We strive to meet our goal of 'no concessions on quality' and to comply 100 per cent with our promises and our customers' expectations," DMT CEO Piet ter Schure told Baird Maritime. "This is a process that requires a lot of work, especially in these times when price is one of the key criteria in selecting a supplier. Luckily, many of our customers worldwide know that, in our 20 years of doing business, we have always teamed up with end users and worked with their feedback in order to develop the best possible designs that will suit their needs."
DMT added it has a perfect understanding of the problems that downtimes can cause in terms of financial losses on the part of operators, hence their adherence to high standards of quality in supplying products that are not only capable, but also highly durable.
"Our tailor-made winches can be combined with a wide range of special options," ter Schure added, "and our electric and hydraulic control systems are provided with a standard DMT core PLC program that will allow our team of specialists to perform remote troubleshooting from any of our global offices if necessary."
DMT, however, clarified that the company's winches are designed in such a way that regular maintenance is enough to keep them in good working condition even after years of use. Troubleshooting, which will be readily available, is therefore expected to be required on very rare occasions due to the winches having been built to last.
"We also offer a combined FAT for our winches with DMT control systems, both dynamic and static, surveyed by DMT quality control, witnessed by any class representative as the end user requests."
The company said that its manufacturing facilities are also noteworthy for utilising technology that helps guarantee traceability, material quality, cleanliness, and precision – attributes that are important in deck machinery that is built to withstand daily use under the most demanding conditions.
"Our winches are also designed to have minimal environmental impact, thus ensuring our clients can go about their operations without significantly affecting their respective carbon footprints."
DMT's already impressive product portfolio expanded considerably in 2020 to include electric, hydraulic and pneumatic (in all desired combinations) mooring arms to connect even the biggest vessel to any existing shore/jetty. The company has also delivered a next-generation towing pin with shark jaw set and is currently working on more complex projects involving ATEX-controlled, general use winches.
Further, with the global maritime industry gradually making the switch to more eco-friendly fuels such as LNG in light of tightening IMO emissions regulations, DMT spent the last year refocusing its efforts towards making sure its products will be more aligned to this growing trend.
"We expanded our product line and started becoming more mindful of keeping environmental impact to a minimum as a result of our being very connected to worldwide opportunities," DMT told Baird Maritime. "We try to capitalise on the benefits that globalisation provides us. In our 20 years of history, we always had a global approach, always crossing the borders trying to build a global network of fruitful partnerships to enable us to be closely connected to the market, to have constant feedback and to combine knowledge in order to provide the best possible solutions to our customers."
DMT remarked that, even though these temporarily resulted in a lower turnover, the significant investments that it made in new manufacturing technology and personnel training are in line with its "no concessions on quality" principle and therefore necessary for ensuring the company is ready to do business for years to come. Specifically, the company expects these attributes will make it more capable of addressing the needs of a continually evolving market that is driven by the goal of a reduced global environmental impact.
"We will strive to be the ideal supplier to a global market that needs to adapt and develop rapidly. All market players (shipbuilders, owners, suppliers) must combine ideas to decrease the environmental impact of the industry. The new IMO rules stimulate us to innovate quickly on the usage of new materials and technologies."
Among the innovations the company focuses on is making its products more lightweight but every bit as capable as their heavier counterparts. Stress analyses and simulations continue to be carried out to keep product weight as low as possible without sacrificing functionality. To further reduce weight, the company's winches all do away with parts and materials that are sensitive to harsh environmental conditions and replaced with components that are less susceptible to oxidation and mechanical failure, thus guaranteeing longer service lives compared to their more conventional counterparts.