Machinery Automation Systems News

Following its inauguration ceremony in Rotterdam on February 27, 2015, Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit will start its first job offshore Norway this summer with an integrated Dynamic Positioning (DP) and manoeuvring system based on state-of-the art Kongsberg Maritime technology. The Kongsberg Maritime delivery includes forward and aft bridge systems in addition to an extensive automation network and the HiPAP subsea position reference system. Eight years in the making, Allseas’ Pioneering Spirit single-lift vessel is the largest construction vessel in the world.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has unveiled a new marine alarm, monitoring and control solutions. The new series of shipboard machinery automation solutions, marketed by Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit under the VisionMaster label, is being introduced to provide cost-effective scalable solutions for small- to medium-size commercial and naval vessels. The hardware is type approved to meet the requirements of major classification societies for unmanned machinery space operation. Offered in two basic configurations – VisionMaster Alarm Management System (AMS) and VisionMaster Machinery Control System (MCS) – the new Sperry Marine solutions use commercial-off-the-shelf industry-standard components for all key building blocks within the system.

Dynamic Positioning and maneuvering solution to Pieter Schelte - Allseas' platform installation/decommissioning and pipelay vessel that will be delivered in 2011. After the successful launch of Audacia in November 2007, Allseas is now fully committed to its next construction vessel - Pieter Schelte - which will take the pipe laying specialist into new territory by providing heavy lift and platform removal capability. With the Dutch company Imtech Marine & Offshore as contractor for the power and drive solution…

Kongsberg Maritime Ship Systems (KMSS) has taken orders to provide over $3 million worth of services and equipment to Petrobras and Metalnave SA, both based in Brazil. KMSS products are also set to be displayed at this years World Petroleum Expo, to be held in Rio this September. KMSS will supply Autrocargo cargo monitoring systems for the Petrobras P-43 and P-48 Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessels (FPSO’s), currently under construction in Singapore and Brazil and bound for the Barracuda and Caratinga field developments. Petrobras has 11 FPSO’s in operation and under construction, 8 of which have been fitted out with KMSS systems.

Litton Marine Systems has established a new strategic business unit for machine automation, as announced per Dr. Clark Graham, the company's president. In addition, Patrick T. Enright, Jr. was named director and Stewart Allington was elected director of the new strategic business unit. Prior to joining Litton, Enright was head of the automation department at Newport News Shipbuilding, while Allington, who joined Decca in 1994, will assume responsibility for worldwide sales and marketing of Litton's marine machinery automation systems.

Modern tools of research take many, increasingly high-technology forms, but large test machinery is especially apposite to the marine field, with its blend of applied science and solid, practical disciplines. Lubmarine has ploughed $2-million into a new, purpose-built test engine in France. Derived from a five-cylinder medium-speed diesel of the MAN B&W 16/24 type, the Innovator-4C evaluation and research engine is due to be brought into service this month (May) at the TotalFinaElf Research Center (CRES) at Solaize, near Lyons. It will replace the single-cylinder, Elf-Optimizer test bench, based on a Pielstick PC2.6 engine, first installed at Solaize 20 years ago and extensively modified in 1994 in response to changing development requirements.