Cell guides.Repair and installation.
Straighten, renew and install bent, cracked or torn-off cell guides in the hold. On container ships in port, at the berth or at the shipyard.
A bent cell guide can block a whole stack. Every blocked slot costs cargo. That is why we plan the repair around your port stay.
What we do.
From a single bent profile to a full set of guides. Hover over a card to see the work.
Survey the damage
Inspect, mark and record deformation, cracks and wear on site. This becomes the repair plan.
Straightening
Straighten bent guides where the material and the deformation allow it.
Replace sections
Cut out damaged sections and weld in new profiles to fit.
Entry guides
Repair or replace the entry guides at the top so containers find their way in again.
Full renewal
Renew cell guides over the full height or install new ones, to drawing and to the requirements of owner, yard and class.
Check dimensions
After the work, check position and spacing of the guides and record the result.
Good to know.
What owners and superintendents want to know before a cell guide repair.
01What are cell guides?
Cell guides are vertical guide rails made of angle profiles in the cargo hold of a container ship. They hold the containers in their stacks and guide them down during loading and discharging. Entry guides at the top bring each container into position as it is lowered.
02How does the damage happen?
Mostly during cargo operations: a container lands at an angle or hits the guide on its way in. The profile bends, welds crack or an entry guide breaks off. Corrosion also weakens the guides over the years.
03What happens if it is not repaired?
A badly bent cell guide no longer lets a container through. The stack is lost and the cargo has to be re-planned. Loading anyway can damage container and guide further.
04Can the repair be done during the port stay?
That depends on the number and type of damages, access to the hold and the cargo plan. We look at the damage, tell you honestly what fits into your window and plan crew and material accordingly. What does not fit, we plan for the next port or the yard period.
05Who approves the repair?
For damage to the ship's structure we agree scope and method with you and, where required, with the classification society. Welding is done by welders qualified to EN ISO 9606, under welding coordination to EN ISO 14731 and to procedures qualified to EN ISO 15614.
06What do you need from us?
Vessel name, berth and port stay, the bays and stacks affected, photos of the damage and, if available, the cell guide drawings. The more we know beforehand, the better the plan.
07Do you also install new cell guides?
Yes. We install cell guides to drawing, in newbuilding, in conversions or when a hold is re-arranged.
Trades in action.
More on each trade, with procedures and records.
What you need to know.
The key facts for your supplier qualification. Certificates and records are available on request.
Site managers, engineers, welding coordination, a safety specialist and qualified welders. Based in Lübeck, working worldwide.
EN ISO 9606
Processes 135, 136, 138 (MAG), 141 (TIG), 111 (MMA) and 131 (MIG).
Four material groups
Shipbuilding steel, stainless steel, aluminium, duplex and CuNi.
ISO 14731 · ISO 15614
Welding coordination to ISO 14731, procedure qualifications to ISO 15614. Recognised by classification societies.
SCC / SCP
Full protective equipment. Hot work only with a fire watch, confined spaces with extraction and a standby person.
As it suits you
Fixed-price contract, contract on a time and materials basis, or services at hourly rates.
Liability insurance
Insured for work on ships.
Our own gear
Our own welding machines, tools and extraction.
Lübeck · worldwide
We come to the yard, the port or the berth. SOS call-outs around the clock.
From the call to acceptance.
Enquiry and technical clarification
You describe the damage. We clarify what is needed.
Survey and planning
We plan crew, material and time.
Mobilisation and access
The crew travels in. Access and permits are arranged.
Work on site
We work to plan, with welding coordination and occupational safety.
Acceptance and report
Joint acceptance and a report back to you.
Background reading.
Cell guides on container ships: design, clearance, damage
How the guides in the hold are built, which tolerances apply, how to spot damage and who decides on the repair.
Hull crack repair to IACS Rec. 47: insert or doubler?
Why hull steel cracks, how a crack is gouged out, welded and tested to the IACS standard, and when an insert plate is needed instead of a doubler.
This may also fit.
Crack in the steel? Get in touch.
Nauticon Systems GmbH · Seelandstraße 1 · 23569 Lübeck