# Spare Parts and the middle man.



## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

Spare Parts and the middle man.
Budget control is important, but how can it operate, no chance, because of the middle man’s mark up. Computerised device arrive on board to measure the fuel viscosity, original bill from the manufacturer was found in the box, the middle man had applied a 100% mark up. Control room A/C compressor failed, no spares, US manufacturer,
US bound, contacted them and a new compressor was on the jetty on arrival, 60% less than the normal cost. Bollocking from the HQ purchasing department for going direct.
How many sticky fingers are in the pie.

John.


----------



## cubpilot (Aug 18, 2008)

standard off the shelf ball or roller races for pumps, huge mark up, etc, but having worked for a big engine builder the income from spares is vital to keep the business afloat in lean times. lose the manufacturer and you have lost the supplies of those special parts or your new and improved engine or pump etc


----------



## Fieldsy (Nov 3, 2008)

Always found ordering spares a bit of a game. When I drew up a list of generator spares I needed to restock it would be telexed to head office for an engineer super to check. They'd invariably cross out about 20% of what I ordered - I'm convinced it was just done so they could be seen to be doing something meaningful and saving the company money. That's doing me and the company no good when I run out of something essential in the middle of the Atlantic.

So, I'd draw up what I needed, then add some high cost and totally unnecessary items. These would scream off the paper for the super, who would cross them off. Leaving me with exactly what I required!


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

That was the way to do it Fieldsy, at least it made them feel useful and more important to them, "IN CONTROL"


----------



## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

I never had a problem with the office cutting out the spares that I ordered. I did have problems with the purchasing department buying the cheapest knock offs that they could find. 

I did how ever had to re-box and return parts. The knock off generator diesel parts that already had cracks on the con rods. We were going to do a complete overhaul of the generator diesels while underway with a Tech Rep from Mak. The Tech Rep took one look at the parts that were purchased and ordered his own parts from the factory. 

The worst was the knock off purifier seal kits. The knock off seals did not last a CIP cycle. After pointing out that we were using three times has many seal kits using the knock offs the purchasing department started to purchase the kits from the manufacturer again. 

One time I required a shaft for a pump I found out that my opposite had already ordered the pump shaft as per sample. When I finally received the shaft the shaft would not fit the pump. After talking to the purchasing department telling me that they supplied the correct parts. I was about to send a message stating that I did not care how the shaft was ordered I just wanted the shaft that fits. Unfortunately the Captain changed the wording so it was more PC. 

Joe


----------



## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Nowadays, most manufacturers offer Long Term Service Agreements (LTSA) to programme not only spares but technical manpower. They also contain provision for catastrophic failure to ensure a speedy return to service. 

MAN for example are setting up strategic service centres worldwide through their Prime Serv division. I have recently read an interesting article in Diesel Facts about MAN's technical relationship with the Norwegian tanker company Odfjell to provide reconditioning services to their shipboard gennys, including cyl. hds., pistons and liners.

The main limiting factor today is time. These LTSA's allow forward planning and a fairly predictable budget.

Another factor also, although I am unaware if it is employed in shipboard operation, is remote engine monitoring. Many times, the OEM knows of a developing problem before the operator.

Rgds.
Dave


----------



## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

I have had local Caterpillar contractor contracted for the five year ABS survey which coincided with the big end bearing inspection, head replacements and turbocharger overhauls. Which worked very well. They supplied all of the parts even utilized the onboard spares and replaced shipboard spares that were used to rotate the stock. 

The long term contracts for maintenance did not fit the companies interest due to the relatively short charter agreements that they had for the vessels (five year initial then yearly). 

Joe


----------



## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

Dave, 
ref remote monitoring, I heard from my son who is knowlegeable about these things, that all Liebherr mobile cranes are now fitted with a modem which transmits information back to the factory, so that any operation of the crane which exceeds specified parameters, such as overload, or working in high wind conditions is monitored by the manufacturers.
I would be surprised if marine engine manufacturers are not thinking similar thoughts.
Pat


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

I am sure years ago a couple of Brocklebank's ships had a very unusual (at that time) arrangement with Rolls Royce and the genny's they had fitted, can't remember the details as I never served on one and as to what level of repair/mtce the ships own Engineers did before RR stepped in but if I remember correctly they had a special provision built into the ship to remove the complete genny's after a specified number of engine hours run, a bit like RR aero engines. I was told a story of the by an old Steam Chief who went for the secured spare bearing on the bulkhead only to find it was a wooden copy which like the other genuine spare parts had been painted over possibly years before. Ordering spares was like playing chess sometimes you had to sacrifice a "piece" to get what you were really after.


----------



## dave4e (Sep 6, 2008)

Pat Kennedy said:


> Dave,
> ref remote monitoring, I heard from my son who is knowlegeable about these things, that all Liebherr mobile cranes are now fitted with a modem which transmits information back to the factory, so that any operation of the crane which exceeds specified parameters, such as overload, or working in high wind conditions is monitored by the manufacturers.
> I would be surprised if marine engine manufacturers are not thinking similar thoughts.
> Pat



They sure have, and are, big brother is watching you.


----------



## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

The Liebherr system uses a rotating password that supposedly only the Liebherr enginers have access to - it changes on a daily basis, trouble is you need this password to access the screen in the drivers cab for advanced faultfinding. Liebherr engineers are thin on the ground in New Guinea so we got round that one by getting a tame engineer to give us the password for one day then resetting the computer to that day when we wanted to address the pc - simples as the meerkats say.


----------



## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

dave4e said:


> They sure have, and are, big brother is watching you.


But how closely is he watching!

I have experienced a case involving a developing pattern over months with diesel engines which went unnoticed by the OEM and, in contrast, a phone call to a gas turbine plant telling operators to stop a generator immediately (it went bang about 5 minutes later). I often wonder if there is a scanning software looking for abnormal data/patterns or if it is, in cases, just a big data recorder. The downside is that the operators often expect the OEM to tell them when things are not right, giving them more relax time in the AC comfort of the control room!

Regards,
Dave


----------

