Optimizer News

Supply chain issues tied to liner shipping have been front page news throughout 2021; just about everyone agrees that there’s a problem. The underlying cause is right out of Economics 101: a surge in demand for moving containerized cargo, in the face of “inelastic” throughput capacity (which includes vessels and their landside interfaces to surface transportation, trucks and rail) that could not handle the swell, attributable to re-stocking of containerized cargo as economic activity recovered from the pandemic induced jolts.

Estonian ferry operator Tallink will tap sustainability and efficiency gains enabled by ABB Ability Marine Advisory Systems – OCTOPUS for its new passenger and car ferry MyStar due for delivery from the Finnish Rauma Marine Constructions shipyard in 2022.The liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered MyStar will be deployed on the 80-kilometer trans-Baltic route between Tallinn, Estonia, and Helsinki, Finland, and the OCTOPUS optimization software will collect and transfer operational…

The Port of Los Angeles has set a new single-month cargo record for the fifth consecutive month making it the busiest August in the Port’s 112-year history.During the month, the port moved 861,081 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), an increase of 4.2 percent over the same period last year, said the nation's premier gateway for international commerce and the busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere.Eight months into 2019 overall volumes have increased 5.7% compared to 2018, when the Port set an all-time cargo record, the America's Port said.“Our strong volume growth this year is due in part to our global supply chain relationships, aggressive marketing and improvements in operational efficiencies,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

The Port of Los Angeles moved 764,777 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in June, the busiest June in the Port’s 112-year history.The month marked the end of Fiscal Year 2018-19 in which the Port moved 9,688,252 TEUs, a 5.7 percent improvement over the previous fiscal year, a press release from the American  port said.“Completing the busiest 12-month period in the Port’s history makes me proud of our extraordinary capabilities and grateful to all our stakeholders,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.“With container exchange per vessel at record levels…

Caterpillar is touting its Multi-Engine Optimizer (MEO) as a solution for existing cruise ships to burn less fuel, run cleaner, keep uptime and reliability high while keeping costs down.Caterpillar's MEO is designed to lay over the top of a vessel’s existing power management system, us-ing proprietary performance maps and control algorithms to advise the system on which engines to operate and at what load. The second, Asset Intelligence (AI), is a total vessel monitoring solution that collects and analyzes data from onboard systems, then provides recommendations on when and how to take action.

IEC Telecom will launch its Orion Edge+ satellite voice and data communication solution during this week’s Sea Asia (April 9 to 11).Orion Edge+ provides high quality, reliable broadband with the ultimate cost effective operational benefits. It also provides flexible data plans with no long-term commitment. This flexibility makes Orion Edge+ ideal for busy offshore support vessels, tugs, and oil and gas contractors.Powered by Thuraya’s Orion IP broadband and Thuraya’s Seastar circuit switched voice terminal…

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has introduced a new breakbulk cargo stowage solution, the Breakbulk Optimizer, which enables operators to rapidly and optimally plan the stowage of many different cargoes."The MacGregor Breakbulk Optimizer is the first automated, cloud-based application for the optimized stowage of breakbulk and general cargoes," said Magnus Sjöberg, Senior Vice President, Cargo Handling, MacGregor. "It makes full use of MacGregor's expertise in cargo handling systems combined with Navis' expertise in loading computers and stowage planning know-how on container ships." Navis is also part of Cargotec.The new application from MacGregor optimizes breakbulk vessel stowage plans by taking into consideration all influencing factors including what cargo is already on board…

At this year's SMM exhibition, MacGregor, part of Cargotec, plans to unveil a new digital solution it says is set to change the face of breakbulk stowage. Alongside this, the company has developed other elements of its digital portfolio, MacGregor Smart, and will showcase these capabilities during daily presentations at the exhibition held September 4-7 in Hamburg, Germany.OnWatch Scout: building on years of remote-equipment access with offshore cranes, MacGregor will now offer a new intelligent prediction service for equipment on merchant vessels. MacGregor OnWatch Scout can predict and monitor upcoming critical issues and communicate them to customers, reducing unplanned downtime and giving back more cost control to the operator or owner of the equipment.

A new satellite device that combines the Inmarsat Fleet Xpress Network Service Device (NSD) with the RedPort Optimizer Enterprise satellite router and VoIP gateway was launched by RedPort Global.The single rackmount appliance will manage ship networks with satellite broadband routing, VoIP connectivity and crew services, and replaces at least three pieces of hardware that were previously required for Fleet Xpress installations.The innovative RedPort Optimizer Enterprise NSD for Inmarsat Fleet Xpress gives satellite service providers and ship operators an all-­in-­one solution…

Late last year Caterpillar introduced the Multi-Engine Optimizer, or MEO. According to T.E. “Dra” Wiersema, Product Manager, Caterpillar Marine, 85 to 90 percent of the value of MEO is in fuel savings. But the story of MEO is so much more. As the maritime industry increasingly moves toward data analytics to control everything from fuel management to overhaul scheduling to route planning, there has been the requisite avalanche of new products and systems purporting to deliver incredible returns.

The Port of Los Angeles moved more cargo in 2017 than in any time in the Port’s 110-year history, racking up 9,343,192 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), a 5.5 percent increase over 2016’s record-breaking year. It’s the most cargo moved annually by a Western Hemisphere port. “We are powering Los Angeles’ economy to new heights every year, because we know that lasting prosperity means investing boldly in jobs, opportunity, and growth,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The success of our Port tells the story of a city whose moment has arrived — and we will continue pushing forward as we expand our role in the global economy,” Eric added. “2017 was a year beyond expectations but it was not by chance,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

Caterpillar Marine has unveiled its new Multi-Engine Optimizer (MEO) tool, which leverages proprietary performance data and patented control algorithms to provide intelligence for power management systems. MEO works by advising power management systems on which engines to operate and enables the use of dynamic asymmetric loads to drive the combination of engines and loads to create the lowest possible fuel consumption. “MEO is designed to operate in conjunction with any system, new or retrofit,” said Theodore Wiersema, business process manager for Caterpillar Marine.

Thermal Dynamics, an ESAB brand, announced that its new Cutmaster 60i handheld air plasma cutting system is now available for purchase through traditional and online welding distribution outlets. Cutmaster 60i weighs 37 lbs. and provides a rated output of 7.6 kW at 50 percent duty cycle at 60A. It produces a recommended cut of 5/8 in., has a maximum sever thickness of 1-1/2 in., and provides the fastest cut speed at any thickness material for its class. "We have designed the Cutmaster 60i so that it provides the industry’s highest power-to-weight ratio in its class…

The largest container vessels are designed for the greatest possible efficiency – maximum intake, minimum fuel consumption. Their smaller cousins, however, have not received the same level of attention – but this is beginning to change, says Jai Oh Sun, Engineer / Pre-Contract, DNV GL AS. For the last few years, the titans of the container world have stolen the headlines; 18,000, 19,000 and even 20,000 TEU giants have arrived and reshaped the way goods are transported around the world. This has resulted in a need for more feeder services to keep these giants filled and reap the efficiency benefits of their size. For the Korean shipbuilder…

Today at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg, DNV GL presented Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) with an Approval in Principle (AIP) recognizing the technical feasibility of the new Con-Green 2000 vessel design under the new DNV GL rules. The Con-Green 2000 project brought together partners HMD, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Becker Marine Systems and DNV GL to develop a highly efficient, reliable and economic feeder design. Feeder vessels are the unsung heroes of the container market and have become increasingly important in a world of 18,000, 19,000 and even 20,000 TEU giant ultra large container ships.

Some 50,000 trade visitors from the whole of the world are expected in Hamburg for the start of SMM in less than two weeks. And once again, it is fully booked – with a total of more than 2,150 exhibitors from 67 countries, presenting their most innovative products and services. “SMM will live up to its reputation as the pacemaker of the industry again, with exhibitors from every part of the maritime value chain and a high-quality conference program,” says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

Newly available version of RedPort XGate satellite email and data services suite now includes PredictWind weather forecasting service, letting users select, download and view marine weather forecasts over satellite and cellular networks. RedPort Global announced the immediate availability of a new version of XGate, now including the PredictWind Offshore weather-forecasting app. XGate is an independent satellite data acceleration service letting people easily and affordably access accelerated email, web, weather data, social media and blogging wherever they go. PredictWind Offshore allows users to download and immediately view GRIB files, weather routes, GMDSS Text forecasts and Satellite Imagery.

GreenSteam Optimizer is an onboard decision support system that is an adaptive, data-driven solution, helping the master to make the right decisions. Achieving maximum fuel efficiency means operating at the most efficient speed using as little fuel as possible. The optimal settings and parameters such as trim, draft are a vital in setting up the vessel, and depend on a range of conditions such as load, waves, wind, water depth and many other factors. By continually optimizing the trim and draft of the vessel based on data collected onboard the vessel…

Inatech launches its Optimizer to add smart decision making for fuel purchasing to its cloud-based management solution for the entire fuel procurement process. The company explains that Optimizer helps ship operators take the guesswork out of their fuel purchasing decisions by providing real-time guidance on the three key factors of quantity, location and price strategy-how much fuel to buy for each ship in their fleet, the best port to bunker at and the right price strategy (spot versus contract). In ongoing proof of concept evaluations for large shipping companies, Inatech's Optimizer has been shown to deliver real-world fuel cost savings of up to five percent.

As a developer of marine fuel efficiency and optimization systems, GreenSteam will showcase its fuel saving GreenSteam Optimizer in the Danish pavilion at SMM in Hamburg, September 2014. Making good decisions on board based on sound and accurate data is the basis for efficient operation of any vessel. GreenSteam Optimizer is an onboard decision support system that is an adaptive, data-driven solution, helping the master to make the right decisions. Ship owners are now facing their biggest industry challenge ever, with both fuel costs and legislative efficiency targets.

Hamburg-based ship-owning and ship management company E.R. Schiffahrt developed a Crew Compliance Optimizer, CCO, together with its partners Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement and the scientists of the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML). "The maritime industry is in urgent need of an instrument capable of accurately planning the size and composition of the crew for a particular ship size and route and the work processes required during port stays," said Ole John, Senior Research Associate with Fraunhofer CML. The number of sailors needed on board essentially depends on how many are required to run the ship safely at all times and perform maintenance work in addition to that.

A newly developed propeller optimizer makes it much faster to identify propeller-hull reactions and reach design decisions. In the EU project STREAMLINE the fuel efficiency of a chemical tanker was improved by optimizing the hull form and propeller. To this end, MARIN used its hull optimization program PARNASSOS EXPLORER and a newly developed propeller optimizer. The hull form itself was optimized for low resistance and for having a wake field as rotationally symmetric as possible, while simultaneously maintaining the displacement and sufficient space for the engine room.

Numerex announced that i3G, a provider of bulk-liquid tank monitoring solutions, recently added "Optimizer" and "Tank Management" tools to its core "i-tank" offering. Customers deploying i3G's i-tank solution now can utilize the "Optimizer" functionality to manage their orders within the application to ensure easy and efficient grouping by product type, order number and shipment. This new feature facilitates the handoff of order details to loading and distribution operations personnel ensuring accuracy and optimizing all aspects of order fulfillment. The new "Tank Management" tool enables customers to review delivery data for a given route…