Tag: ML UK

Why the best entrusts ML with all their engineering needs

Posted on by Mike

ML-UK’s Engineering Division, headquartered in Portsmouth, provides customised and general metal fabrication, welding and structural engineering design, build, supply and fit. In the 40 years that ML UK has been operating in this sector, the business has produced of all types and sizes of products from a single bespoke steel bolt, to a commercial stainless steel exhaust piping, through to an aluminium ship’s hull.

Designing and manufacturing a vast and diverse array of metal products, the ML engineering teams serve many sectors; from leisure marine and commercial and naval shipbuilding, aggregate suppliers and recyclers, energy providers, national construction companies, through to plumbers and builders.

ML UK – Engineering is fully equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and manned by professional staff, to deliver bespoke designed, fabricated, and constructed products from single items to multiple items on call-off.

Heading up the ML Engineering Teams is Operations Manager, Peter Halkyard. Previously heavily involved in steel working within the marine industry, he brought to ML additional unique experience and knowledge which is invaluable to his role.

Peter comments, “ML’s mobile engineering and welding teams attend customers sites  to provide any aspect of repairs or builds required, no matter the size or scale of the operation or job. ML UK is qualified to Class 2 Fabrication Level of Excellence across the business, with ML’s staff suitably qualified and experienced in their trade, ensuring that steel and metalwork is produced to the most exacting of standards.”

ML’s mobile teams’ areas of coverage generally spans Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey, Wiltshire and Dorset, however ML also regularly works with customers with multiple sites nationally.

Peter is proud of ML’s reputation and client-base stating, “For many years we have been the preferred supplier to an internationally-renown nationwide restaurant chain, which operates hundreds of fast food outlets across the United Kingdom, for whom we regularly service and repair their kitchen equipment. These requests are often urgent, and always requiring resolving within very tight timescales.”

“Another customer, an energy supplier, recently had an urgent requirement for the repair of a one-metre diameter stainless steel pipe that had cracked under pressure. ML’s teams ground back the pipe’s split area, then carefully welded the crack, resulting in a precise and exacting finish, within good time.”

Peter comments, “As a longstanding customer told me, ‘We can always trust the ML guys to always find a solution and mend it, quickly, professionally and with the minimum of fuss.”

For further information on how ML UK can assist your business’ precision, structural and marine engineering requirements, please contact Peter on 02392 819114 or peter@mluk.co.uk.

ML UK completes extensive vessel refit to ML Split Two

Posted on by Jess

ML UK completes extensive vessel refit to ML Split Two

A ship on the water Description automatically generated with low confidence
ML Split Two

Complementing ML Dredging’s fleet of workboats, the ML Split Two is one of ML’s two self-propelled split-hopper barges, often seen operating in the Solent region and along the UK coast.

The 42m x 8.4m ML Split Two has a capacity of 340m3, enabling her to provide a range of dredging services to commercial marine operators, including shipyard, ports and marinas; who regularly employ ML’s split-hopper barges for capital and maintenance dredging contracts.

In late 2020, following many years of often back-to-back contracts, ML Split II required an extensive refit. Over 40 tonnes of steel were used to re-plate the hulls and topsides and within the split.

The refit was carried out by ML Dredging’s sister company, ML UK at Hythe Marine Park in Southampton.

ML UK’s welding teams, who at times throughout the project were 18 strong, works included fabrication of the forward hull split plates, bow plates, forward and ram space bulkheads and the main hold bulkheads to fore and aft. The main and aft hulls were re-plated as were the fore and aft deck plates.

The engineering teams also replaced the main fuel piping, and improved the ram space access to fore and aft, together with new forward combing. 

ML Split Two benefited from having new hawse pipes, anchors, new main splitting pins and rebore, as well as new main fuel piping. The engine, propulsion and hydraulic systems were appraised, overhauled, and serviced by ML UK’s team of in-house marine engineers.

Due to the unique nature of the split-hull configuration there were several potential issues to overcome. Where the two splitting hulls come apart via hydraulic pistons to allow materials to be dropped into the sea, not only was it a complex task re-plating the dual inner hulls within the existing outer hull structure, but also challenging ensuring that hull-splitting operating gear remained safe and operable during the works.

ML UK’s Portsmouth workshop boasts a comprehensive range of machinery allowing the fabrication team to roll 13mm thick plate up to 2.5 metres long to form the bow using rollers, as well as the machining capabilities to form all plating requirements from cutting, folding and rolling.

Joe Liney, Director of ML Dredging comments, “We are delighted with how the team at ML UK devised solutions, which resulted in a seamlessly managed vessel refit, to time and on budget. The quality of the refit is faultless and ML Split Two returned to service right on schedule.”

Following completion of her refit and renewal of MCA class certification, the ML Split Two recommenced active service where she was immediately deployed to undertake dredging works in Portsmouth harbour at Gosport Marina with her sistership, the ML Split Three.

For further information and to find out how ML can assist your operation, please click here to send a mail or call 02392 819114.

Images (c) courtesy of Maritime Films UK