LR’s Technical and Failure Investigation Team (TFI) uses core and advanced engineering skills to identify and understand the root cause of failure. As part of a rapid response service, the team will provide you with customised solutions to recover your assets back to operation.

Major machinery malfunctions can be costly, putting a vessel out of service and off-hire. Shipowners need to know the cause of failure, the route to repair, how long it will take to return to service, and how it can be prevented in the future. 

Originally called the Technical Investigation Department of Lloyd’s Register, LR’s TFI team has over 80 years of experience. It specialises in investigating machinery failures and engineering analysis independent of the OEM and shipbuilder. TFI can be deployed from Europe or Asia at short notice for onboard technical investigations and rapid assistance. 

The TFI materials laboratory examines failed components for greater independence over investigations. Its findings are backed up with an extensive in-house library of previous work and technical literature. 

With worldwide coverage in key locations, LR’s TFI team has instrumentation, measuring and data acquisition equipment for typical propulsion shaft alignment and noise and vibration work located in Southampton's main laboratory, Sydney and Shanghai. Examples of investigation projects include: 

  • Vessel propulsion shafting alignment investigations
  • Vessel propulsion engine failure investigation
  • Vessel accommodation vibration investigation
  • ShaftRight [N: D,I] shipyard assistance for large container ship new constructions
  • Vessel pod propulsion vibration investigation
  • Vessel bow thruster vibration investigation
  • Shore side power plant engine failure investigation
  • Vessel rudder shell and casting failure investigation
  • Air lubrication system retrofit hull structure assessment
  • Machinery vibration assessment
  • Machinery failures - heat exchanger tubes, engine cylinder head cracks,, main engine fuel pump spring, main engine fuel injector nozzle, dredger pump shaft and side shell sea water valve corrosion
  • Propeller blade crack investigation
  • Bilge tank MIC investigation
  • Vessel side shell plating crack investigation

The TFI team conducts technical investigations. It consists of various specialist disciplines covering marine and mechanical engineering, machinery dynamics, FEA, N&V, data acquisition, and metallurgy. The team works closely with other LR specialists as required, for example, in naval architecture, hydrodynamics, or CFD.