Thordon Bearings - Experts & Thought Leaders

In a significant milestone for the company, Thordon Bearings has seen its RiverTough tailshaft bearing solution surpass 500 installations in the workboat sector. Primarily a retrofit solution but also increasingly specified for newbuilds, RiverTough is designed for coastal and inland waterways, where conditions are typically muddy and abrasive. Thordon shaft sleeves The key has been verified as outlasting rubber bearings by a factor of two or more in the harshest environments The solution, applied in combination with hard-coated nickel-chrome-boron (NiCrB) Thordon shaft sleeves, has been verified as outlasting rubber bearings by a factor of two or more in the harshest operating environments.  Workboat operators serving the Mississippi River, U.S.A., have reported wear rates of just 0.07–0.1 mm (0.003–0.004 inches) over 6,000–7,000 hours of annual use. Cost savings over the vessel lifecycle RiverTough’s unparalleled resilience cuts maintenance and yields significant cost savings over the vessel lifecycle, in a benefit that resonates with owners of tow- and tugboats worldwide. Uptake has been particularly strong in the U.S.A., where two strategically located warehouses – in New Orleans (LA), and Paducah (KY) – have facilitated over 400 installations to date. Ratio of rubber bearings Accounting for over 60 more, South America is another strong market for RiverTough. As well as lasting longer, RiverTough is easier to machine, install, and align than rubber bearings. Its length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio of 3:1 results in superior water flow and reduced edge loading, when compared with the 4:1 L/D ratio of rubber bearings. RiverTough tailshaft bearings “This is a notable milestone for RiverTough tailshaft bearings, and for Thordon, and part of a growing market acknowledgement that using RiverTough tailshaft bearings leads to reduced maintenance requirements, allowing owners to keep boats working longer, moving their cargo with less downtime,” said Jason Perry, Thordon’s Regional Manager, North America. He adds, “We are responding to customer needs, and that has allowed us to continue Thordonising the workboat fleet, by growing RiverTough and NiCrB Thordon shaft sleeve numbers but also by serving increasing demand for durable TG100 mechanical shaft seals, ThorPlas-Blue and SXL rudder bearings, Thordon pucker seals, and ThorPlas-Blue steering linkage bearings.”

As part of its strategy to penetrate new and emergent markets, Thordon Bearings has appointed Axioma servisas as its sales, service, and distribution lead for Lithuania.Lithuania has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the EU over the past five years. The country continues to actively develop its maritime, manufacturing, and renewable energy sectors, as part of government policy to strengthen the country’s industrial competitiveness. Technology solutions Vilnius-headquartered Axioma servisas, which has been servicing, maintaining, installing, and commissioning technology solutions for companies across the Baltic’s industrial sectors for more than two decades, is tasked with expanding Thordon’ presence across the country.Malcolm Barratt, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager - Southern Europe & Gulf Med, said, “We have had a market presence in Estonia and Latvia for some years, but this is the first time we have an approved distributor for Lithuania, a country on the cusp of economic and technological evolution. Axioma servisas ticks all the boxes for us. The company has established a sound reputation for engineering excellence in most of the markets we serve.” Sale, supply, and service With GDP projected to grow by 2.9% in 2025, there is enormous potential for Thordon’s products Axioma servisas officially joined Thordon’s authorised distributor network on January 1, 2025. They are responsible for the sale, supply, and servicing of Thordon’s complete product portfolio of water-lubricated and grease-free bearings and seals. With GDP projected to grow by 2.9% in 2025, there is enormous potential for Thordon’s products across all of Lithuania’s industrial sectors, which are now very much in expansive mode, explained Gintautas Gaizauskas, Director of Axioma servisas’ Commercial Department. Renewable energy sources “The Klaipėda seaport is being developed following a €65 million investment; new renewable energy sources and infrastructure projects have received funding to ensure the country is climate neutral by 2050; and government incentives have bolstered manufacturing capabilities, making Lithuania a very attractive prospect for international manufacturing.” Gaizauskas furthered that the country’s maritime sector is an area with potential for both Thordon and Axioma servisas.  Environmental sustainability “Lithuania will become a major international logistics hub capable of handling much larger vessels and a more diverse range of cargoes and commodities,” he said.  “More vessels are being built and repaired in the country and there is a significant commitment to ‘Green Shipping’ in support of energy transition. Thordon’s product line fits very well with all of the developments taking place to bolster Lithuania’s environmental sustainability.” Install, maintain, and repair The proximity of Lithuania to Thordon’s manufacturing site in Slupsk, Poland, adds another dimension For more than 20 years, Axioma servisas – the largest engineering services company in the Baltic region – has been installing, maintaining, and repairing various mechanical, electrical, and automation equipment, helping to prevent major breakdowns and downtime. The proximity of Lithuania to Thordon’s manufacturing site in Slupsk, Poland, adds another dimension to both companies, as Barratt explained.  Reduces time and costs “Since 2012, when we invested in the Slupsk facility, we have expanded the plant to facilitate the production of Thordon products, reducing the time and costs involved in getting our products to European markets." "This is a particular boon for shipowners, managers, and builders with existing and planned operations in Lithuania and the Baltic States.”

Bronze bearings in the stern roller of the Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) Vessel ES Kestrel have been replaced with grease-free SXL bearings from Thordon Bearings while the vessel remained afloat and operational. The replacement was undertaken in May 2024 by Thordon’s Dubai-based distributor Ocean Power International (OPI) for the AHTS owner Echo Cargo & Shipping of U.A.E. While typically checked during routine drydocking, the vessel’s stern roller was experiencing turning issues during operation. On inspection, it was found that the existing bronze stern roller bearings were seized and worn, mostly due to failed grease lubrication. Harsh sea conditions Stern rollers are a key feature of anchor handlers and other offshore support vessels that need to deploy and retrieve anchor chains and wires. These vessels often operate in harsh sea conditions with high bearing loads. These vessels often operate in harsh sea conditions with high bearing loads ES Kestrel was built in 2011 and has mostly operated in the shallow coastal waters of the Persian Gulf region. Thordon SXL bearings operate without oil or grease above and below the waterline and are approved for pressures up to 12 MPa (1740 psi). The SXL material offers high abrasion resistance and can also withstand high shock loads, improving the wear life of the bearing. High abrasion resistance Rafid Qureshi, President of OPI, said off-the-shelf availability and his team’s ability to undertake the engineering and installation were key to the success of the project. His team worked with the vessel’s owner and the shipyard to design, machine and install the 360mm (14.2in) long bearings that were interference fit into split housings. The top half of the bearing housing needed to be lifted to remove the worn bushes and install the new ones. Axial installation was not possible, and the bearings had to be placed over the pin prior to positioning the stern roller. The ability to refurbish the roller bearings while the vessel was afloat saved time and money for the client. Sustainability of stern rollers Thordon’s Regional Manager – Southern Europe & Gulf Med, Malcolm Barratt, said, "Thordon’s bearings enhance the performance and sustainability of stern rollers on AHTS vessels." “Our polymers feature exceptionally long wear life and offer the best combination of strength and stiffness with flexibility and elasticity, along with high abrasion resistance. Their use in this project demonstrates the shipowner’s commitment to innovation, environmental friendliness, and cost effectiveness. This upgrade was a noteworthy achievement that showcases OPI’s engineering capabilities and dedication to efficiency.” Small machining errors Thordon has previously supplied rudder and tail shaft bearings to other Echo Cargo & Shipping vessels Thordon SXL bearings are easy to machine and produce no dust. In comparison, other non-metallic materials require dust extraction and tight machining tolerances that may result in product rejection or repair delays.  With Thordon SXL, machining tolerance is less critical, and because of the relatively large interference on the bearings, it is usually possible to adjust dimensions to compensate for small machining errors. Thordon Bearings has more than 70 distributors in 100 countries who carry extensive inventories of Thordon’s common bearing sizes. This is backed up by large regional and head office inventories. Thordon has previously supplied rudder and tail shaft bearings to other Echo Cargo & Shipping vessels and now expects to refurbish the roller bearings on two more vessels. To date, more than 80 AHTS vessels worldwide have been fitted with Thordon SXL bearings in stern roller applications.