Hamworthy claims that there is little doubt that some marine equipment spare parts dealers are aware that they are trading in pirate parts. But if the shipowner doesn’t ask, either from a lack of awareness or concern, the problem will continue. Pirate parts are bad business, not only for the end user but also for the marine equipment industry in general. For the end user, they will, at best, result in higher running costs or potentially in machinery failure leading to expensive vessel downtime.

In a recent exercise to test its own concerns, Hamworthy ordered spares for one of its range of main starting air compressors from a European source which claimed that the parts were of OEM origin. The consignment included a crankcase, cylinder head, HP suction valve, HP delivery valve, LP liner, HP piston and delivery valve cage. Although the parts carried no name or logo, they did bear the Hamworthy model number. When the goods arrived at Hamworthy’s HQ in the UK, the company’s quality control personnel examined them for accuracy to the original specification and quality of workmanship. None of the goods were found to be acceptable. Most pirate parts, which have come in to Hamworthy’s possession, have been reverse engineered using much older designs. In many cases, newer models cannot be made to work with ‘old’ parts. At the very least, features which have been subsequently designed to enhance performance will be absent. Such features will, of course, be incorporated in all genuine OEM parts supplied for both old and recent machines alike.