Metalock Brasil completes in-service engine block repair on bulk carrier

Metalock Brasil has completed a complex in-situ structural repair on the main engine of a dry bulk carrier during a voyage covering Jamaica, Colombia and Panama. The work was carried out while the vessel remained operational, avoiding the need for engine disassembly or an unscheduled port stay.

The repair addressed cracking and severe wear on engine block No. 2 of a medium-speed MAN B&W marine diesel engine. Damage was identified in threaded fixing holes around the crosshead guide base, camshaft area and cylinder No. 1, affecting structural integrity.

Metalock Brasil’s technicians used the Metalock cold repair process, removing damaged material before installing mechanically locked metallic keys and inserts. The area was then faced, re-drilled and re-threaded to M16 specification.

The cold repair method avoids the introduction of thermal stress or distortion, a key requirement for marine repairs carried out with the vessel in service. Following completion, the vessel’s onboard engineering team inspected and approved the repair, releasing the engine for full operation.

The procedure was carried out under certified processes in line with ISO 9001:2015 and with approval from an international classification society. Metalock Brasil said the project demonstrated its ability to mobilise globally and execute high-precision structural repairs with minimal operational disruption.