Shiplift Systems

Syncrolift has successfully built over 240 shiplifts worldwide. We make your shipyard flexible, efficient, and most importantly – safe. Over many years, we have tested, refined, and optimized the lifting and launching of ships.

A Syncrolift ship lift can radically boost the effective use of your shipyard's area. We aim to dry-dock as many ships as possible yet still enabling you to launch vessels in the order you require.

Unlike a traditional floating dry dock, the Syncrolift lets your team lift your vessel out of the water quickly and safely and transfer it to a shore-based dry-berth workstation for maintenance or repairs.

Shiplifts are a fast way to lift and launch ships, meaning less inactive time for ship owners and increased productivity for your shipyard, with more ships passing through.

Our skilled and experienced engineers will, together with you, find the best technical solution for your shipyard.

What is a shiplift?

A shiplift is a structural platform. driven by a row of syncronized hoists, that lowers below the waterline so a vessel can float above it - then lifts the vessel vertically out of the water and transfers it to a shore-based dry berth. It is the modern alternative to a graving dock, floating dock or slipway.

Lloyd's Register formally classifies shiplifts as Mechanical Lift Docks. The Syncrolift®, the original shiplift, has become the preferred name for the technology itself

Shiplift vs floating dock vs graving dock

	Shiplift	Floating dock	Graving dock
Vessels docked at once	Limited only by yard area	1–3	1–2
Docking cycle	Minutes to lift. No ballasting or pumping	Hours of ballasting	Hours of flooding and pumping
Launch order	Any vessel, any time	Last in, first out*	Last in, first out
Yard area utilisation	Dry berths across the whole yard	Fixed to the dock*	Fixed to the dock
Typical fit	Repair yards and newbuild yards prioritising throughput	Deep-water sites, very large single vessels	Sites with existing civil works

*Syncrolift have installed transfer systems that work with floating docks., and thus essentially turning the floating dock into a shiplift.

Every yard is different: Geology, geometry and target market all matter. Our engineers can help you weigh the options. Read more about Shipyard Layout Planning.

Standards and certification

shiplift certification

Handling everything from critical national assets like nuclear submarines, to fishing boats and the livelihood of coastal families, safety is our primary concern.

Certifications serve as a testament to our adherence to stringent industry standards, ensuring that all installations and operations meet global regulatory requirements. Read more about our certifications here