Meyerwerft Papenburg

When:

30 September 2011

14:00 Hour - 17:15 Hour

Event organizer:North-east region

Description

The purpose of this visit (COMBINED WITH A Morningside VISIT TO THE WASSER - & SCHIFFAHRTAMT IN EMDEN)is to get to know the Meyerwerft in Papenburg.
This afternoon visit will be combined with a visit to the Wasser - & Schiffahrtamt in Emden in the morning. As it were, both visits form one thematic whole.
In Papenburg, our visit starts at Hotel Restaurant Reiherhorst. Later we transfer to the Meyerwerft on our own.

MEYER WERFT GmbH in Papenburg was founded in 1795 and is still owned by the Meyer family (currently 6th generation).Bernard Meyer has been the executive manager of the company since 1982.
After the era of building wooden ships, steel ships with steam engines were built from 1872. In 1860, there were 20 shipyards in Papenburg, but only the Meyer shipyard survived into the 21st century. Between the two World Wars, the shipyard concentrated on fishing vessels, pilot boats and lightships, together with passenger ships. Followed in 1960 by the first gas tankers and in 1964 by the first RORO ferry.
De Meyerwerf has built a great reputation worldwide for shipbuilding for specific purposes. The company is well known for building large -, modern - and highly qualified cruise ships (to date 30 luxury cruise liners)
But the Meyerwerf also builds car and passenger ferries, RoRo - ships and LPG tankers
The Meyerwerf related company Neptun werf GmbH in Rostock, is also the builder of river cruise ships.
Meyerwerf now employs over 2,500 workers as one of the main regional employers. Most employees are young (average age is 38) and work at the yard for a very long time, sometimes already for several generations.
As a result of 9/11 in America, the yard went through a deep slump. There were no new orders for cruise ships so in early 2003 there was an inevitable wave of redundancies for 500 employees.
The family business currently trains around 300 trainees professionally. The order book is filled well into the year 2015.
In 1975, the shipyard moved to the outskirts of Papenburg. This is where the first cruise ships were built. The first covered construction dock dates from 1987 (later extended). In 2001, a second even larger dock was added. The hall length is now 504 metres.
Modern computer technology is used everywhere. As a result, construction time per ship is now about 2 years. 3D simulations give maximum planning anticipation. Steel plates are coated to protect against corrosion. Then cut to size in a plasma torch system and welded into panels.
Panels are assembled into sections (including electrical installations and piping). Seven sections become 1 block and 65 blocks become a cruise ship.
Laser welding technology has been used since 1994. The plasma arc flame liquefies metal by means of a plasma current and blows the metal off the weld. A special "I-core panel" has the advantage of reducing the structural height

14:00
Reception at Hotel-Restaurant Reiherhorst with tea and cake by Yolande Marring-Benoist.
Distribution of badges and information material.
14:45
Transfer on own initiative to the Shipyard at Industrieterrein Süd, Poort 1. (4 km.)
15:00
Guidance for guided tour by Yolande Marring-Benoist.
Film about the shipyard.
Guided tour of Shipbuilding Hall 5 (1st floor).
Guided tour (at your own risk) of the gallery in Hall 5.
Approx. 17:15 hrs.
End of guided tour Meyerwerf.

If desired, an explanation in Dutch is possible during the guided tour.