Since 1994, SMS-SME has supplied RORO equipment to vessels operating worldwide. For most of that time, this equipment has been driven by hydraulic winches and hydraulic cylinders, with electric motors and electric cylinders applied only to selected functions and equipment.

That balance is changing. Environmental considerations, together with growing demand for operational efficiency, crew convenience, safety and simpler maintenance, have moved the maritime industry steadily toward electric-driven solutions.

SMS-SME responded by developing and supplying Full-Electric RORO Equipment for PCTCs (Pure Car and Truck Carriers). Five years on from our first delivery, the experience gained in service has become the foundation for everything we have improved since.

From Delivery to Real-World Experience

Developing a new system is only the beginning. Its value is proven in daily operation at sea.

Over the past five years, our design and commissioning engineers, supported by our worldwide service network, have stayed involved across the full lifecycle of the equipment — from engineering and commissioning through operation and after-sales service.

We have monitored operational feedback closely after vessel delivery and responded promptly to issues raised onboard, including minor ones. Each case has been treated not simply as a service matter, but as an opportunity: identify the root cause, refine the design, and carry the lesson into the next vessel and the next project.

That feedback loop is what has moved our Full-Electric RORO technology forward.

More Efficient, More Economical, More Reliable

When Full-Electric RORO Equipment was first introduced, shipowners naturally had questions about reliability, maintenance, operational stability and lifecycle costs compared with familiar hydraulic systems. These questions could not be answered by engineering calculations alone. They required actual operating experience.

Five years of field experience have given us the opportunity to answer those questions in practice.

Accumulated engineering knowledge and extensive field experience have shaped a system with clear advantages over conventional hydraulic-driven equipment: efficient and economical operation, high reliability and operational stability, simpler and less frequent maintenance, and safer, more convenient handling for vessel crews.

The clearest confirmation comes from our customers. Shipowners already operating vessels fitted with SMS-SME Full-Electric RORO Equipment have placed repeat orders, and new shipowners are increasingly specifying our electric-driven solutions for their projects.

The hesitation that surrounded electric-driven RORO equipment a few years ago is being replaced by confidence grounded in proven operational experience — a trend we expect to continue as the industry pursues more efficient, sustainable and maintenance-friendly vessel operation.

Continuous Improvement Through Experience

We do not regard Full-Electric RORO technology as a finished product.

The best equipment is not created through design alone. It comes from engineering expertise, commissioning experience, real operational feedback, responsive service, and the discipline to keep improving.

Experience across numerous vessels and projects has sharpened our ability to understand each shipowner's technical and operational requirements, and to deliver solutions that balance performance, reliability, maintainability and economic efficiency.

Building on more than three decades of RORO expertise and five years of Full-Electric project experience, SMS-SME will continue to develop and deliver more advanced, reliable and optimized Full-Electric RORO Equipment to shipowners worldwide.

Whatever the operational or technical requirement, we are ready to work closely with our customers to identify, propose and develop the most technically sound and commercially competitive solution for each project.