Following a site meeting with Metalock to discuss requirements, Leith Port engineering staff separated the cabin and turret sections of the unloader from the main frame, enabling Metalock to undertake a series of pre-machining laser inspections before setting up its purpose designed rotary facing machine. This comprises a hydraulically driven arm that revolves around the slew ring base centre point. At the other end is a hydraulically driven milling head.

The lower turret annular ring of 3.28m diameter and 60mm wide was machined flat to within ±0.02mm and subsequently checked by laser. A similar operation was performed on the upper turret slew ring location surface which had been upturned on the dockside by the customer.

Metalock also in-situ machined three pairs of link bore locations used to locate the hydraulic lifting rams to accept oversize pins manufactured and supplied by BMH. These assemblies had been dismantled and placed on timbers on the dockside to facilitate the machining operations.

On completion of all machining work on time and within budget, Leith & Forth Ports fitted the slew ring and link bore location pins and reassembled the unloader, which is now back in service and operating without problems.

MJ Information No: 19015