Photo=Mr. Will Hoffman Global Segment Manager(left), Mr. Murakoshi, Managing Director
(Introduction)
What comes to mind when you hear “the world’s top supplier of cable and pipe sealing solutions”? As a staff writer for Japan Maritime Daily, I have been reporting on the shipping industry for over two decades. Nevertheless, I was unaware that “cable and pipe penetration systems” were linked to the fire and flooding incidents that frequently affect ships.
Mr. Will Hoffman, the Global Segment Manager, explained to me about Roxtec, a globally renowned company that offers solutions for cable and pipe penetration sealing.
（Text by Hirofumi Yamamoto）
■Roxtec has a history of more than 30 years.
Hoffman readied himself for a press conference at Roxtec’s Japan office in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo on November 16th at 9:30 AM. He stated, “I intend to cover a lot of ground, but I first want to delve into our products. Please bear with me.”
Mr. Hoffman, a British individual, initiated his talk with a 70-slide slideshow.
Roxtec was founded in 1990 by Mr. Mikael Blomqvist in his Karlskrona, Sweden garage.
Over the years, Roxtec has experienced tremendous growth thanks to the creation of the Multidiameter, a product that improves cable and pipe penetration sealing.
The solution uses a module that clamps wires from the top and bottom (see picture). The device is sealed by combining different segments and securing them with clamps, which varies based on the number of wires and penetrations. This makes maintenance and inspection simpler compared to using other traditional sealing solutions like sealants.
Mr. Hoffman displays a shipboard photo of a representative cable/pipe penetration and describes, “Ships utilize a range of cable and pipe penetration systems starting from the construction phase. Nevertheless, as a result of maintenance and aging, seals deteriorate and fracture, resulting in accidents of fire and submersion.”
In fact, Hoffman elaborates that the 2013 incident in the Suez Canal, where the engine room of the colossal container ship Emma Maersk was flooded with seawater, was also caused by a malfunction in the pipe cable penetration system.
The flooding resulted from a penetration system failure that occurred within the bulkhead perimeter. The bulkhead had four penetration systems, of which three failed, allowing water to pass through. The investigation’s conclusions showed that the installation process for this type of system at the shipyard was inadequate. There was insufficient supervision, and, most notably, incorrect product placement occurred.
Merchant vessels and engine rooms contain an extensive amount of piping and wiring, but previously, no global guidelines existed for the installation quality, maintenance and safety of wiring and pipe penetration product design.
The Emma Maersk accident and other incidents prompted the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to establish new rules for penetrations.
These regulations will apply to most ships contracted to be built after July 1, 2021.
Therefore, if a shipowner signs a contract with a shipyard to build a new ship after July 20 1, 2021, these new rules will apply.
Mr. Hoffman explains that “ship fires are common with recent incidents such as the car carrier catching fire due to inadequate fire protection systems. Additionally, last year, a fire occurred in San Diego on a ship also undergoing construction/renovation, which caused the fire to spread due to an open penetration system.”
“Such ship fires have occurred repeatedly. In many instances, these accidents are not reported, nor do they receive media coverage. The vehicle transporter fires and the U.S. Navy mishap garnered attention because they were significant events. However, incidents involving penetration systems pose a continual danger.”
■a vital lifeline
Roxtec’s cable and pipe penetration sealing process is utilized on US Navy vessels and offshore oil platforms due to its superior safety standards. Hoffman estimates that European cruise ships boast an installation rate of around 90%.
Roxtec has recently created a digital system, empowering any ship’s crew to manage cable and penetration control.
The Roxtec Software Suite™ will incorporate a penetration design system with the capacity to record, upload, and share penetrations throughout ship construction and inspection, in compliance with the new IACS regulations.
Mr. Hoffman’s hour-long presentation completely changed my view on cable and pipe penetration sealing.
It conveyed the impression that this equipment is still not widely recognized in the commercial marine industry, despite being vital to a ship’s lifeblood and infrastructure.
At the end of Mr. Hoffman’s presentation, I remembered the statement he made at the beginning.
“We have customers in 80 markets across the world and independent offices in 30 countries. We are a local company with a global presence. Our sales for 2022 were $220 million, and we are targeting approximately $275 million in 2023. In the Japanese market, we aim to meet with Japanese ship owners and operators to present our products for all commercial marine vessels such as bulk carriers, Pure Car Carriers, cruise ships, LPG and LNG ships.”
The niche cable and pipe penetration sealing market’s safety awareness is expected to rise in the global shipping industry in the coming years.