Based in the port city of Szczecin, Poland, Komes operates as a specialized technical service provider dedicated to the maritime and offshore industries. The company focuses primarily on ensuring the structural integrity of steel vessels and marine assets through comprehensive diagnostic services. As a key player in the ship repair and maintenance sector, Komes provides essential data that shipowners, managers, and classification societies require to assess the seaworthiness and safety of hull structures.
The core of the company’s operations revolves around Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement (UTM), a non-destructive testing method used to gauge the remaining thickness of steel plating on ships. This service is vital for monitoring corrosion, erosion, and general wear over a vessel's lifespan. Komes deploys teams of qualified technicians who conduct detailed hull inspections on a wide variety of vessel types, including bulk carriers, tankers, general cargo ships, and offshore platforms. These inspections are typically performed during mandatory classification cycles, such as Special Surveys, Intermediate Surveys, and Annual Surveys, as well as during the Condition Assessment Program (CAP) for older tonnage.
To execute these rigorous inspections effectively, Komes utilizes diverse and modern access methods tailored to the specific constraints of the maritime environment. Beyond traditional staging and rafting in cargo holds, the company employs industrial mountaineering techniques, often referred to as rope access. This approach allows inspectors to reach high or difficult-to-access areas of a ship’s structure without the need for extensive scaffolding, thereby reducing preparation time and costs. Furthermore, the company has integrated remote inspection technologies, such as drones, to assist in visual surveys of vast or hazardous spaces, as well as divers for underwater thickness measurements when dry-docking is not an option.
While the company is rooted in the Polish maritime sector, its operational scope is international. Komes frequently dispatches "riding crews"—teams of inspectors who travel with the vessel during its voyage—to perform necessary gauging work at sea, minimizing downtime for the vessel operators. By generating precise measurement reports and steel renewal estimations, the company assists technical superintendents in planning dry-docking repairs and forecasting maintenance budgets. Through these specialized technical services, Komes plays a supportive but critical role in the global maritime safety ecosystem, helping to prevent structural failures and ensure compliance with international maritime regulations.
