Goltens announced two days ago that the Goltens Worldwide Group of companies had been awarded worldwide approval of its repair process for the In-Situ annealing of medium speed 4-stroke diesel engine crankshafts. This certification follows a formal review by Germanischer Lloyd of the crankshaft annealing process and related governing documents and procedures.
The approved procedure is designed to reduce excessive hardness in damaged crankshaft journals through annealing (heat treatment) of the crankshaft with a minimum amount of material removal. The process is specifically targeted at salvaging crankshafts that would otherwise be condemned and require replacement due to the severity of the hardness exceeding engine maker specifications.
Goltens experience has demonstrated that this hardness can be significantly reduced to within acceptable limits and that, after annealing, minor finish machining can restore the machinery to service with significantly less loss of crankshaft diameter as well as the avoidance of costly shaft/equipment removal and replacement.
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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, September 19, 2012