When RB-Asennus Ltd was inviting tenders for the landing ramp for the Viking Grace vessel in Mariehamn, the winner was PMC Hydraulics. The decisive factors were the ability to provide full line delivery and to react rapidly. PMC Hydraulics delivered the hydraulics of the landing ramp for the Viking Grace vessel in Mariehamn. The end user is Mariehamns hamn.
The tenders were called in the summer 2012 with a tight schedule and the contract was won by PMC Hydraulics. The strongest asset of PMC was its ability to offer a full line solution which comprised all the stages from design to commissioning, including delivery and installation of the hydraulic power units and actuators, as well as their testing and user training. The solution also included preventive maintenance.

"The full line package was our demand for accepting the offer. An advantage for PMC Hydraulics was also their quick reaction to our invitation for tenders. There was little time for such a large project," says the Managing Director of RB-Asennus, Raine Björklöf, explaining their choice ofpartner.

Smooth co-operation during and after the project

According to Björklöf, both RB-Asennus and the customer, Mariehamns hamn, are extremely satisfied with PMC Hydraulics cooperation, not only during the project but also in operation and maintenance.

"No technical faults have arisen during over three years of operation," says Björklöf. "We have done maintenance and some small changes in cooperation with PMC Hydraulics, and everything has gone excellently run smoothly."

"In the future, when we get orders similar to this, we'll work together without a shadow of a doubt," concludes Björklöf.

Close cooperation between companies important

The hydraulics solution for the ramp was assembled at the premises of RB-Asennus in Rauma and transported by pontoon to the harbour at the turn of 2012−2013. The maiden voyage of the ship was right after in January. The job was considerable, with its installation and deployment testing work.

Every vessel and harbour requires a different kind of ramp, because disembarkation takes place from different levels. For that reason, designing the ramp hydraulics is always application-specific..

The most environmentally friendly of large passenger vessels, the Viking Grace operates on the Turku-Mariehamn-Stockholm route. Its capacity is 2,800 passengers, with around 200 crew. The vessel was built at the STX Finland shipyard in Turku. Less than a year after its maiden voyage, the passenger total of the Viking Grace had already broken the one-million barrier, so the operability of the landing ramp has been thoroughly tested.