United in strength: DMC and Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam deliver swift nozzle refit for Heidelberg Materials UK

In the world of marine aggregate dredging, every day of downtime is costly and Heidelberg Materials Aggregates Marine knows this well. Their trailing suction hopper dredger Arco Dijk, built by IHC in 1992, operates in the North Sea, Eastern Channel and delivers to the important UK and Belgium markets. After a close inspection from the Heidelberg Materials UK engineering team, the decision was made to replace the nozzles rather than attempt extensive repairs.

When the time came for its class renewal survey, it emerged that the existing nozzles needed replacing. To not prolong the scheduled time in dock, this meant moving fast – from ordering to manufacturing and installing new, custom-built nozzles. Thanks to seamless cooperation between Damen Marine Components (DMC) and Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm), the Arco Dijk was back in operation in record time – now equipped with two brand-new Optima nozzles.

From request to order in just six days
As maintenance preparations at DSAm got underway, Heidelberg Materials UK responsible Ship Manager, Lee Oddy, also raised the topic of nozzle replacement. Paul van de Craats, Commercial Manager at DSAm, recalls: “I immediately thought of DMC and of the time we could save by supplying and installing the nozzles in-house. Since we’ve worked with Heidelberg Materials UK for over 23 years, I asked him if we could put together a proposal. He agreed and I contacted Kees Oevermans right away.”

Kees, Technical Sales Manager at DMC (which is part of the Damen Group, like DSAm), was just as enthusiastic. Lee says: “What Kees and Paul sent back to us was appealing and highly specific, especially the fact that that they said that the nozzles could be produced in such a way that they would fit the vessel on arrival. Normally, we would work to a 10-week program, but it was essential this could be done in three, Damen facilitated that.”

Paul: “Thanks to our efforts including the client’s, we had a signed order within six days.”

Kees adds: “It was a custom design made specifically for the Arco Dijk, but thanks to our experienced engineers and modern production facilities in Poland, we could move fast. The scope and price were finalised within a week, and just three weeks later the new nozzles were installed!”

Optima Nozzles: a true upgrade
The chosen design was DMC’s updated Optima nozzle, a major step up in both design and efficiency compared to the vessel’s original configuration. The Arco Dijk is over 30 years old but will remain in service for years to come.

“For the Arco Dijk, DMC specifically supplied the inner surface of the nozzle in stainless steel,” says Kees. “This extends the lifespan and reduces maintenance requirements. The client wants to keep the vessel operational for at least another five years, so this truly was a ‘life-extension docking’ that made their operations more sustainable.”

Lee comments: “Indeed. At Heidelberg Materials UK, we keep our fleet well-maintained. It’s a mindset that comes from working in this business, where corrosion and erosion are permanent concerns. In this case we wanted to keep the vessel operational and compliant and the replacement nozzles upgrade is another step in our work.”

Seamless collaboration
What made this project stand out was the early and continuous alignment between DMC and Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam. During engineering, DMC already accounted for DSAm’s installation preferences – resulting in a perfect fit with no modification needed to the headbox or struts. This kind of ‘plug and play’ fit of new equipment is quite rare.

Installation went just as smoothly. Even without the propeller shaft (usually the central reference point), Damen was able to place the nozzles with centimetre – and later millimetre – precision, using 3D scanning and smart positioning techniques.

“I was very impressed with the production team,” Lee says. My input could be minimized during the process. I could simply let them get on with their work, freeing up time for me to focus on other tasks. This is not something that happens everywhere – it brings confidence when a supplier shows they can handle the job to your liking without having to be managed in detail all the time.”

Paul: “We executed 30 different jobs on the Arco Dijk in just three weeks. The nozzles were among the most critical, but everything went according to plan, thanks to the craftsmanship and experience of our teams. I am very proud of them and thankful for the trust that Lee and his team put in us.”

‘One Damen’ in practice
The Arco Dijk project illustrates the value of cross-divisional cooperation within Damen. As Lee sums up: “The project went extremely well. It was a very large scope; to complete that on time and within budget was a real achievement.”

“We took pressure off the client during a very demanding maintenance window; that’s adding value,” says Kees. “And it’s just incredibly rewarding – and fun – to successfully deliver a project with Damen colleagues from another division. That’s when you really feel the ‘One Damen’ spirit.”

Paul agrees: “It shows how knowledge sharing within the Group creates real added value for both client and repair yard. By tapping into our shared network and experience, we get stronger – together.”