MacGregor sealing solutions

High quality,longer lifetime andincreased safety

Why to choose
MacGregor sealingsolutions?
Weathertightness
increases safety
MacGregor sealing systems ensure complete
weathertightness and effective functioning of the seal
over an extended service life. Climate, cargo types anddiverse customer requirements specify the criteria for
selecting the right sealing solution. MacGregor seals
are manufactured according to exacting specifications
to secure the optimum rubber quality for a particularapplication. Our sealing solutions are designed to provide
the best possible protection for your cargo and to reduce
the need for maintenance to a minimum – resulting in
reduced costs and increased safety.

Original MacGregor seals
ensure longer service life
Our choice of original seals and sealing systems iscomprehensive. It ranges from traditional sponge andsolid rubber seals to advanced panel-joint sealing­solutions offering various operating ­capabilities andflexible cargo handling.
The performance of a seal is determined not only by themechanical and chemical properties of the rubbermaterial, but also by the geometry of the seal profile.
The kinematics and movements of the hatch cover
panels in a seaway, and when operating, have to betaken into account as well.
MacGregor offers tested and proven seals and sealing
solutions that mean trouble-free operations and safecargo handling for all types of vessels.

Secure solutions
for even the mostdelicate types of cargo

Customer expectations
The performance expectations andrequirements of sealing solutions havegrown rapidly because of the increased
need for safer and more effective equipmentthat offers lifetime profitability.

Long
lifetime
Reliablefunction

Weathertightness

Lifetime
profitabilityFireretardant

Ease ofmaintenance

Oilresistant

Quick and easy
replacement

The importance of getting a good seal
A good hatch cover seal protects cargo and guarantees
the safety of the vessel by:• Allowing for hull and coaming deflections at sea and still
maintaining effective sealing• Keeping water out by weathertight sealing between the hatch
covers and the coaming, and in the hatch cover panel joints• Keeping the cargo dry and any protective and/or inert gases
inside the holdA suitable sealing force is a prerequisite for thesealing arrangement to function correctly. Thisis not achieved by sealing alone as the whole
coaming arrangement has to work in unison. It isof paramount importance for the tightness of thecovers that the counterpart position, in relation

to the seal, is correct, and that the support pads,
restraints and locators are arranged in an optimalway. Changes in one part of the arrangement canlead to changes in its other components. We see
the system as a whole and know how tobalance all its parts.

Sealing force(kN/m)

Compression curve• Optimised sealing forces
over a wide compression
range

Working areaMinCOMPRESSION (mm)MaxSelection andoperation ofour seals

SpongeFlexSeal• Traditional hatch cover seal
• Minimal permanent set• High ozone resistance and tensile strength• Mainly for older ships where investments
in maintenance and/or repair are noteconomical• Minimal permanent set• Improved solution to replace sponge seals• Excellent service life expectancy• Solid rubber does not absorb water,
maintains its original shape and prevents
corrosion• Shape of ‘wings’ and ‘jags’ gives it an
optimum weathertight fit• Oil-resistant and arctic types available

Cat ProfileC Gasket• No compression bar required• Reduced installation/maintenance costs• Works against any surface• No restriction of lateral movement• Minimal permanent rubber set• Abrasion resistant• Optimised rubber material for minimal wear
• Fire-retardant and arctic types available• Sliding C-profile• Non-sequential sealing for joints between
lift-away pontoon hatches as well as between
folding and lift-away or rolling hatch coverpanels• Robust profile, bolted to rubber channel• Easy and reliable operation• Recommended for two-panel hatches

UNPRESSURISED(SEALING POSITION)PRESSURISEDOmega• Non-sequential operation• Function is based on pressurised air.
Unpressurised, a weathertight seal is formed
against its rubber counterpart in the joint. ­For lifting, the two air hoses inside the seal
are pressurised and the seal’s profile retracts
from its counterpart. In emergencies, Omega
panels can also be operated without airpressure.
• Uses the ship’s standard compressed airsystem => no special vacuum pumps neededOmega Lite• ‘Simplified’ Omega – without retractablefeatures• Non-sequential passive sealing for joints
between lift-away pontoon hatches• Replaces active Omega with minimum
steel work• Cost-effectiveConstant development andlengthy experience guarantee
high quality solutions
During the 1920s, concerned overunnecessary losses of North Sea colliers,
engineers Robert and Joseph MacGregor
developed the first steel hatch cover.
Deceptively simple, the design consisted offive articulated leaves that stowed neatly atthe end of each hatch. Patented in 1929,
this ground-breaking concept improved
ship and cargo safety and changed theface of cargo care for ever.
Since then, MacGregor hatch covers have been
unrivalled in their development and new hatch covertypes, designed to protect both the ship and its cargo
have been introduced. To mention but a few: the singlepull hatch cover in the 1940s; the flush tweendeck
hatch cover and the flush weatherdeck hatch cover inthe 1950s; and mechanised lift and roll hatch covers
in the 1960s. These new products were followed byinnovative sealing solutions for hatch covers that becamecommercially available in the 1980s.

For more than three decades, new solid rubber seals
have been introduced to meet ever stricter operational
requirements. Original MacGregor sealing solutions
have gained a reputation for safe and reliable seals that
perform in almost all climates and environments. To
ensure sustainable and cost-effective service our R&D
aims at developing sturdy long-lasting seals, which areeasily adjustable and replaceable.

Testing
Hose test
A hose test is carried out by spraying a jet of water along
the cross joints and perimeter seals of the hatch cover.
This must be performed with a class-specified minimum
water pressure and distance from the structure. During
testing, the cargo holds must be empty of cargo.

Ultrasonic test
An ultrasonic test is carried out using type-approved,efficient and reliable testing equipment. This equipment
consists of two parts: an ultrasound multi-transmitterand a hand-held detector. The multi-transmitter is placedin the hold in a central position. It produces a uniformly
distributed omnidirectional sound throughout the holdspace. The sound energy is measured by the hand-helddetector. The transmitter sound is produced in a narrowfrequency (kHz) band, and the detector is only tuned tofilter out this band. As inspectors wear headphones andread data off a digital display, they are not hamperedby surrounding noise and can detect any leaks. The
detector’s built-in memory function also records the dBvalues, making the data downloadable to a PC, so that it
can be safely logged for reports. For swift, clean and easy
testing, ultrasonic technology can be used to check any
opening on board a ship that needs to be sealed.

Functional andtrustworthy in the mostextreme conditions.

Which seal type to which ship type?
Ship typeCat
ProfileFlexSeal

Feeder container ships < 1,200 TEU••

Feeder container ships > 1,200 TEU•

Panamax container ships•

Post-panamax container ships•

LabyDouble
Swingrinth Rubber Lib Seal

CGasketOmega Omega Sponge
LiteContainer ships
••

•

•

•

•

•

•

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•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

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•

General cargo ships

General cargo ships••

Bulk ships

Mini-bulkers

•

•

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Handysize/Handymax

•*

•

•

Panamax/Capesize•

•

VLOC•

•

* Occasionally for open hatch bulk carriers

Further specific information is provided in hatch cover brochures and data sheets

Wherever needed, you can rely on our support.
We serve our customers globally:• Ankerlökken Marine• Allset• ASCA• Becker• BMH• Conver-OSR• Grampian Hydraulics• Flintstone• Greer Marine• Hamworthy• Hatlapa• Hydramarine• Hägglunds• Interschalt• KGW• KYB - ASCA• KYB - Kayaba Industries / Navire Cargo Gear
• Luezhoe• MacGregor• MacGregor-Conver• MacGregor-Hägglunds• MacGregor-Kayaba• MacGregor-Navire• Navire Cargo Gear

• NMF• Nordströms• Ozean Service & Reparatur• Platform Crane Services (PCS)• Plimsoll• Pusnes• Porsgrunn• Rapp• Triplex• TTS• Vestnorsk Hydraulikkservice (VNH)

MacGregor is a leader in sustainable maritime cargo and load handling with a strong portfolio of products, services andsolutions, all designed to perform with the sea.
Shipbuilders, shipowners and operators are able to optimise the lifetime profitability, safety, reliability and environmental
sustainability of their operations by working in close cooperation with MacGregor.
MacGregor is part of Cargotec (Nasdaq Helsinki: CGCBV).

Published by MacGregor. Copyright © MacGregor May 2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
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MacGregor

Version 2020-11

www.macgregor.com