With the modernization of military fleets, the growth of the offshore wind industry, and increasing operational demands, shipyards using legacy dry and floating docks will find it increasingly daunting to keep pace. OmniLift® Shiplift systems from Bardex Corporation overcome the limitations and bottlenecks of these legacy docks and will play a critical role in positioning the Baltic region to meet present and future demands.

What If Your Yard Could Handle More Vessels in a Fraction of the Time?

There is a global trend toward modernizing shipyards with shiplift and land-based transfer systems. The lift/lower cycle time for these systems ranges from just 1 to 2 hours – a vast advantage over the 4 to 14 hours with dry docks. A shiplift is essentially a large waterfront elevator that raises a vessel out of the water; then, a transfer system (a rail with bogie cars or self-propelled modular transporters) moves the vessel from the lift to land-side work bays, freeing the lift for the next vessel.

Unlike legacy docks, the shiplift system uses space efficiently without expanding the water area and enables a shipyard to handle multiple maintenance or repair projects simultaneously.

The Shiplift by Bardex: OmniLift®: Optimizing Throughput, Flexibility and Resilience Bardex Corporation

With more than 60 years of engineering experience, specializes in marinebased products and is a global leader in designing, manufacturing, and deploying shiplift systems. Bardex has executed projects across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia for the defense and offshore energy industries.

OmniLift®, Bardex’s proprietary shiplift, is a permanent lifting and transfer system that raises vessels and moves them to onshore berths, where maintenance and repair can take place on hard stand areas in the shipyard.

OmniLift® offers several performance and planning advantages for modern shipyards:

• It delivers the lowest berthing and launching cost per vessel and minimizes total lifecycle cost over the system’s service life.

• The OmniLift® provides superior flexibility, with overall capacity determined by the number of onshore berths rather than a single docking asset.

• Scheduling is independent across projects; delays on one vessel do not cascade to others.

• Yard logistics and access are improved, allowing vehicles, equipment, and materials to move efficiently around vessels during maintenance.

• Transfer operations do not require mooring, and the system is operated through simple control systems that do not rely on specialized operational skill sets.

• Whereas the lift/lower cycle time for dry docks ranges from 4 to 14 hours, it is only 1 to 2 hours with the OmniLift®.

• OmniLift® uses a chain jack and, unlike shiplifts that use wire rope, has an unblemished safety record.

Bardex Has Earned the Trust of Decision-Makers Around the World

Bardex currently holds more than 20 U.S. and international patents, underscoring its commitment to R&D and innovation that brings the safety, efficiency, and capabilities of shipyards around the world to new levels. Among some of its most noteworthy clients are La Ciotat Shipyards, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and Irving Shipbuilding.

The OmniLift® system for Irving is currently in production and, when completed, will be the largest shiplift system in North America. Designed and engineered to meet exacting standards, the OmniLift® will play a central role in Irving’s River-class destroyer shipbuilding program, a part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the most complex Canadian shipbuilding program since World War II.

Potential for Poland and the Baltic Region

The Baltic region is entering a period of intensive infrastructure investment: offshore wind development, military fleet modernization, and increased importance of ports as logistical hubs.

Bardex can play the key role in:

• Increasing shipyard throughput

• Shortening maintenance and modernization cycles

• Efficiently managing offshore wind and specialized vessel projects

• Supporting MRO operations (maintenance, repair, overhaul)

• Enhancing operational readiness of military and civilian vessels

• Strengthening regional competitiveness and attracting international contracts

Bardex provides not only global experience and top-tier technology and equipment, but also full engineering support – from feasibility studies and design, through integration, to lifecycle service.

Next-Generation Infrastructure – A Strategic Choice

Modernizing lifting and transfer infrastructure has become a critical factor in the competitiveness of shipyards and ports. Bardex exemplifies a company that, through extensive experience and innovative solutions, enables shipyards, ports, offshore operators, oil and gas investors, and the offshore wind sector to prepare for future challenges, increase efficiency, and build infrastructure ready for decades of growth across the entire marine industry.

In a world where security, economy, and infrastructure are inextricably linked, investments in modern shipyard systems and strategic technology partnerships are essential. Bardex’s solutions, grounded in long-standing expertise and advanced engineering, can become a cornerstone of the marine industry development strategy in Poland and throughout Europe, enhancing industrial resilience and operational capabilities on an international level.