Eaton NZ and FPS work together to offer specialised mooring systems to ports around the world. The system minimises hazards and saves money.

Eaton NZ contracted FPS to build the hydraulics for a prototype mooring system to be used in the Port of Dover in the UK. Eaton worked for the primary contractor Cavotec MSL.

The FPS-designed system includes vacuum components that are on the wharf and on the ship. When the ship comes close to the wharf, the vacuum system suctions the ship to it, eliminating any need for conventional mooring lines. The remote controlled vacuum pads are recessed in or mounted on the quayside moor and release ships in seconds.

Although the system in Dover was never implemented, FPS and Eaton continue to build them in partnership with a New Zealand engineering firm on the South Island. It’s called "MoorMaster" technology and can be found at ports around the world: New Zealand, Australia, Oman, and Denmark, where they are especially popular for ferries.

The technology dramatically improves safety and operational efficiency. Conventional mooring lines can snap and recoil, potentially injuring crew. MoorMaster is designed to stop the vessel from moving at all, minimising hazards. Also, traditional mooring methods can mean a vessel can take up to an hour to moor where the vacuum technology does this in seconds, saving fuel and money.