Brazilian Shipyard Adopts ALLMAN AMWS Electric Winches to Solve Continuous Lifting Challenges in Humid Ship Holds

A major ship repair and manufacturing enterprise in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, specializes in the maintenance of deck machinery and the replacement of internal equipment for bulk carriers and oil tankers. Located on the coast, the shipyard operates in an environment characterized by year-round high humidity and severe salt-mist corrosion; furthermore, the interiors of the ship holds suffer from poor ventilation and confined spaces.

**The Challenges**

The humidity inside the ship holds is extremely high, causing the motors of standard electric winches to be susceptible to moisture ingress and short-circuiting. With insufficient protection ratings (typically only IP44), these standard units required maintenance on average once every three months.

Repair operations involve the frequent lifting of heavy loads (with individual lifting tasks often exceeding two hours in duration). Standard motors suffer from poor heat dissipation, triggering thermal overload protection after just 30 minutes of operation—a factor that severely disrupted project schedules.

The previously utilized winches featured a mix of motor brands, suffered from insufficient starting torque, and exhibited noticeable strain when lifting loads of 1.5 tons. Additionally, brake slippage issues presented significant safety hazards.

**The Results**

1. Since the installation of the AMWS winches, they have operated continuously and without failure for eight months. There have been zero instances of motor moisture damage or thermal overload shutdowns, effectively reducing maintenance costs to zero.

2. The efficiency of individual lifting operations has increased by 50%; tasks involving the replacement of internal ship equipment—which previously required four hours—can now be completed in just 2.5 hours.

**Shipyard Equipment Supervisor’s Assessment:** "The AMWS is the most trouble-free electric winch we have ever used. The WEG motor is powerful yet quiet, and the IP55-rated housing performs flawlessly, even when operating right next to damp bulkheads. We highly recommend it to all marine industry clients."

**Client Testimonial**

"Previously, we had to replace our winch motors twice a year; now, a single AMWS unit has lasted us an entire year. Its M5 duty rating truly makes it built to last—it keeps lifting continuously for three hours without shutting down. Plus, with local after-sales support for WEG motors available right here in Brazil, we have complete peace of mind."

— Carlos Alberto, Equipment Manager at a Shipyard in Rio de Janeiro