HISTORY OF MOORINGS

The history of chains dates back more than three hundred years when they were made of coiled bronze wire.

1650
1850
1900
1920
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
1992
2020

1650

1650

As early as 1650 moorings made of wrought iron began to replace ropes on sailing ships. Cables of ∅ 100mm were replaced by ties of ∅ 25mm.

The chains were studless and hand-forged from iron billets, and the size varied considerably from link to link; the mechanical properties and quality also differed greatly between each link. When correctly forged, the joint region was not visible. These first chains had great resistance to corrosion and the resistance in the union was around 150Mpa.

mm, in wrought iron, were used on Ships until recently.

Before the end of the last century, links of up to ∅ 100mm were manufactured.

1850

1850

Proof Load

The application of proof loads began around 1850 and made it possible to identify, through link failure, the most critical manufacturing defects, thus reducing failures in service.

Lattice Years (Stud)

Cast iron mallets began to be used in the early years of the last century. With this, the links became more resistant. Today only steel meshes compatible with those of the moorings are accepted.

1900

1900

Between the 1900s and 1950s, with the advent of mild steel, wrought iron ties began to be replaced by this material, with the problems of size and quality continuing, corrosion resistance decreased and strength at the joint region went down to 175Mpa.

1920

1920

Welding Machine

The first welding machines for moorings appeared in the last century, around the 1920s, and welded moorings were replacing the forged ones.

1950

1950

Welding Machine

The system used until today, Flash Butt Welding, appeared in 1950. Flash Butt Welding is an electrical resistance welding system, where the energy transfer is provided primarily by the resistance heat from the parts themselves. The components are positioned end-to-end across the full joint area.

Currently, Brasilamarras is one of the two manufacturers in the world that has the welding control system called QWELD. With this system Brasilamarras is able to check the quality of the weld for each link and in real-time.

1960

1960

Steel and Heat Treatment

The use of low alloy steels and heat treatment after welding was also introduced in the last century, starting in the 1960s. In order to get the desired mechanical properties in the chain, in Brasilamarras the chains are quenched and tempered. Quenching technique consists in increasing steel temperature above the critical point and quickly cooled. This process increases the hardness and resistance of the material. Afterwards, the material is tempered to reduce the stress created during quenching and improving the toughness of the chains.

1970

1970

Development of the API-2F Standard, with the introduction of a new concept and quality of mooring ORQ (Oil Rig Quality).

Quality control

The advent, in the 70s, of the Quality Control Systems, in the 90s, of the Standards of the Classification Societies, especially the «Certification Note 2.6» of DNV and the Standard «IACS W22», as well as the Technical Specifications of Platform Owners, contributed to a substantial improvement in the Quality of Moorings, through the development of steels and extra inspection requirements, mainly of non-destructive testing.

1980

1980

Progress in respect of requirements and demands for ORQ moorings, with the development and consolidation of Grade 4 moorings, mainly based on DNV CN 2.6

Quality Assurance

In the 1980s, some manufacturers of moorings decided to adopt this System to guarantee and improve the quality of the products manufactured. The first to submit and obtain approval of its Quality Assurance System was Vicinay Cadenas, S.A. – Bilbao – Spain.

BRASILAMARRAS» obtained approval for its System in 1987 by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), in 1989 by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and in 1991 by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

1990

1990

Conceptual change regarding the existing moorings, which were all with mallets, with the introduction and consolidation of the NO MALlet Moorings.

1992

1992

Quality Assurance

In 1992, already through the ISO 9000 Standard, it was approved by ABS Quality Evaluations (ABS-QE), with recognition from the American (RAB) and Dutch (RVC) Governments, and finally in 1994, by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), with recognition from the British Government (NACCB). BRASILAMARRAS Mooring Chains design and manufacture. The strong link between challenge and success.

2020

2020

In 2020, Brasilamarras started its homologation process in the R4S grade, having received in 2021 its certification to supply moorings chains in this grade.

 

View certificates

DESIGN OF THE MOORINGS

The moorings for naval and offshore use, have their design and concept of use, based on the rules edited in 1871 by Loyd’s Register of Shipping (LRS) that normalized the dimensional of the moorings that remain until today.

Before that, some patents of designs were registered but they didn’t have good results.

Since 1871, lug lashing has been used, according to the geometry defined by ISO-1704.

At the beginning of the offshore industry, in the 1960s, the mooring used was that of the naval industry and, as platforms and other offshore equipment developed new needs, a separation began between the normative requirements of moorings intended for naval and offshore use.

BRASILAMARRAS Mooring Chains design and manufacture

The strong link between challenge and success