Control Solutions News

The maritime industry, often viewed as conservative and measured in its approach to technological integration, is on the cusp of a transformative era with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a prominent player. Insights from key exhibitors at the upcoming Posidonia Shipping Εxhibition reveal a new landscape, where industry leaders strategically align with the inexorable rise of AI and consider adopting it already.According to Theodore Vokos, Managing Director, Posidonia Exhibitions S.A.…

Victaulic, manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining, fire protection, and flow control solutions based in Easton, Pa., announced it has acquired Utility Coatings & Fabrication, Inc. (UCF) located in West Jordan, Utah.“This acquisition represents Victaulic’s fourth consecutive investment in the last four years, highlighting the company’s strategic vision for ongoing growth,” remarked Rick Bucher, President and Chief Executive Officer of Victaulic. “Victaulic remains dedicated to…

A ‘Connected Future’ seminar, organized by Inmarsat in collaboration with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News and moderated by Greg Trauthwein, encapsulated the critical roles technology and data sharing play in enabling more efficient and sustainable workboat operations, and in improving conditions for crew.Insights from leading Offshore Supply Vessel owners and operators capture the extent to which technology and data sharing are driving greater efficiency, sustainability and…

Electrical systems integrator Alewijnse has delivered its newest dredge control solutions to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co, the largest provider of dredging services in the U.S.The systems were installed on board the Liberty Island, a large trailing suction hopper dredger, which was deployed immediately after completion for a beach replenishment project in Buxton, N.C."Our proven systems for suction tube monitoring and hopper loading deliver maximum added value to our customers," said Johan van Rikxoort, solutions manager at Alewijnse.

Høglund Marine Solutions announced it will deliver integrated automation systems (IAS) for three newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels being constructed at at CIMC SOE shipyard for Canadian owner Seaspan ULC.The IAS will seamlessly connect the cargo handling, control and electrical propulsion systems on each of the 7600m3 ships slated to operate along the west coast of North America.A central, and standard feature of all Høglund automation systems, is Høglund Playback.

Valmet has opened a new office in Miami, Florida, to strengthen its local presence and improve its services for the global marine industry.“Out of the many Valmet offices in the USA, this new one is solely dedicated to serving our marine customers. Miami is an ideal location for the office as it is home to the world’s largest cruising companies, and many of their ships are equipped with Valmet’s advanced marine automation solutions. Our marine customers now have better access to our automation experts’ know-how as well as our cybersecurity…

U.S.-based marine defense provider Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has acquired Welin Lambie, a U.K.-based manufacturer of davits used specifically for the launch and recovery of all types of craft from ships or shore-based installations.The acquisition further expands FMD’s capabilities and service solutions for shipyard, defense and commercial marine customers, including the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Canadian Coast Guard. Additionally, FMD’s acquisition of Welin Lambie enhances its product and service offerings for future uncrewed ship programs…

ABB’s newly launched C-CAMs marine automation solution applies to vessel systems, power management, cargo control and tank gauging, designed to improve efficiency and safety by enabling faster troubleshooting and maintenance as well as enhanced situational awareness. It also features a mobile application overview of system data, with the ABB Ability Edgenius Operations Data Manager providing access to the alarm and monitoring data regardless of the user’s location onboard.“C-CAMs…

Rolls-Royce and Sea Machines Robotics announced they are working together to deliver remote command, autonomous control and intelligent crew support systems to the marine market.As part of this agreement, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems and Sea Machines, the developer of remote-vessel command and autonomous control systems, will join forces on the development and sale of fully and semi-autonomous vessel control systems.Michael Johnson, CEO and founder of Sea Machines, said…

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has acquired Hunt Valve Company Inc., a specialty manufacturer of naval valves and electromechanical actuators. This acquisition expands FMD’s capabilities and service solutions for shipyard, defense, and industrial customers – including its support for and offerings to the U.S. Nuclear Navy.The transaction includes Hunt Valve, the Hunt Valve Actuator Division, MB Valve (Montreal Bronze), and Pima Valve, LLC.“Our core customers value quality, reliability, and convenience, and the addition of Hunt Valve to the Fairbanks Morse Defense brand allows us to enhance the customer experience by offering a wider range of aftermarket support services through a single vendor,” said FMD CEO George Whittier.

In the United States, it is a frustrating time to be in the government shipbuilding business. Even though America depends upon maritime commerce and faces growing security risks at sea, shipbuilding is just not a major national focus.Up to now, shipbuilders have had it pretty good. For the past several years, big naval shipbuilders have enjoyed steady growth and strong performance. In 2020, Huntington Ingalls Industries enjoyed record revenue of $9.4 billion, an 8.5% margin and gave a quarter billion back to shareholders in dividends and stock buybacks.

Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), an independent supplier of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has been acquired by NSK, a global organization specializing in researching, designing and manufacturing motion and control solutions.NSK’s portfolio of products and technologies enhance automotive performance and industrial productivity, while reducing energy consumption. As the leading supplier of bearings in Japan and the third largest supplier in the world by market share, NSK employs approximately 30,000 people in more than 200 locations across 30 countries, alongside a vast network of joint ventures and partnerships.NSK has been developing condition monitoring systems (CMS) for internal and field use for decades.

Gilmore, a U.S.-based flow control solutions provider for the oil and gas industry, has appointed David Nemetz as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).The company is a subsidiary of Aberdeen-headquartered Proserv and provides flow control products and equipment for the drilling, downhole, production, and wider industrial sectors.Gilmore said that under Nemetz, who has 25 years' experience in the energy industry, it would actively pursue appropriate business acquisitions that…

Fairbanks Morse, a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has acquired Ward Leonard Operating, LLC, a provider of motor and control solutions for military applications. This acquisition will expand the scope of power and propulsion equipment and aftermarket services that Fairbanks Morse provides to its core customers, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard."The acquisition of Ward Leonard expands the Fairbanks Morse product portfolio into complementary technologies, positioning us to serve as a power systems integrator to the U.S. Navy and U.S.

The first Chinese-built hybrid emergency rescue vessel is powered by ABB’s bridge-to-propeller technologies, including Azipod electric propulsion, energy storage system and state-of-the-art automation and control solutions.Delivered to Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, the 78-meter-long vessel Shenhai 01 will be deployed to provide emergency responses at sea and carry out rescue operations. It can be fully powered by batteries for up to three hours of operations.“As the first China-designed and built emergency rescue vessel…

Technology group Wärtsilä has launched of its global Smart Support Center service. This service is aimed at improving asset uptime via remote access for customers of Wärtsilä’s Voyage business, thereby substantially reducing the need for physical service attendance. Operational support is delivered via virtual service engineers. Smart Support is designed to maintain all Wärtsilä Voyage equipment, including ship handling solutions, such as ECDIS and charts, simulation and training systems, and ship traffic control solutions.

Wärtsilä announced it will reorganize its marine business into three independent entities, with the objective to accelerate strategy execution and simplify the business structure.The new businesses, consisting of Marine Power, Marine Systems and Marine Voyage, will be operational as of July 1, 2020.The organizational structure change is a continuation to the shifts made in 2019, whereby Wärtsilä's equipment and service businesses were integrated to strengthen the focus on complete lifecycle solutions…

The provider of motion and vibration control solutions for the oil and gas industry LORD Corporation is now certified to the American Petroleum Institute's (API) standard 16F testing for telescopic joint (TJ) packers. Testing was conducted to the second edition of API standard 16F, effective May 1, 2018, a harsher standard than the first edition in that the inner barrel must not be lubricated during testing. The TJ packers now experience more friction than in the first edition test regimen. “Receiving the API 16F certification is a testament to the demanding conditions our TJ packers can endure,” says Maggie Demicco, LORD Product Manager.

As shipowners mull the technical and logistics solutions to meet the IMO's 2020 deadline regarding sulfur emissions, Goltens COO Roy Strand said “When emissions regulations are applied globally, the investment in exhaust cleaning will make more sense to many operators. There will be more customers who choose to invest in scrubber technologies due to the clear payback.”Strand and Goltens have a stake in the solution, as Goltens Green Technologies is a leader in supplying emission  control solutions.

Many shipowners are scrambling to comply with the tough, new the International Maritime Organization (IMO) fuel global sulfur limit of 0.50 percent m/m, which takes effect January 1, 2020.It is expected that after the rules swing into force, the light-heavy fuel price spread will likely spike and refining margins will be higher, particularly for complex refineries.Shipowners have to stay ahead of the game, said Yara Marine Technologies CEO Peter Strandberg: “Shipowners often get a bad rap of refusing to adopt new, innovative technologies and processes.

In the past one year, Maersk Line, the global containerized division of the Maersk Group has enabled movement of multiple consignments of complex cargo out of India successfully, said a press release. Due to its global presence and network, the exporter network of India has been able to successfully reach out to newer geographies. Commenting on the achievement, recently appointed Managing Director for Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Bhutan), Steve Felder said, ”In the past 18 months or so, we have expanded our horizon in various new commodity categories. India is at an exciting growth path and with our focus on adding value to the customer’s end to end cold chain, the commitment to support the growth of the trade is very strong and visible.

Acquisition expands operational capabilities to include design and manufacturing and demonstrates commitment to U.S. based manufacturing sector. Moody says that it will provide a broader suite of products for its marine and commercial customer base. JA Moody, a privately held family business with its headquarters in Malvern, PA, that has been distributing valves and actuators to the U.S. DOD and commercial entities for 65 years, today announced that it’s parent company has completed the acquisition of Pima Valve. Pima Valve, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona produces a wide variety of bronze, flanged marine products and is a recognized leader in the commercial and marine valve market for multi-turn product. In 2017 Pima Valve celebrated its 50th year in business.

Wärtsilä said it has secured contracts to provide a scope of power and navigational control solutions for three new 2,800 passenger cruise vessels being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy for Virgin Voyages, the latest of the international Virgin Group's travel businesses. An order for Wärtsilä engines, hybrid exhaust cleaning scrubber systems and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems was booked in 2016, followed by an order for the Wärtsilä integrated navigation systems in March 2017.