New Products: Marine Security Systems
The USCG's new Defender Class craft from Safe Boats will be powered exclusively by twin Honda BF225 4-stroke outboards. The Hondas can propel the new 25-ft. (7.6-m) Response Boat - Small, or RB-S as the Coast Guard refers to it through 30-mph winds and 6-ft. seas. The BF225s will provide a top speed of over 45 knots allowing the Safe Boat reaches plane in less than four seconds. Its marine-grade 5086 aluminum hull with integral, sealed air chamber and polyethylene, non-deflatable foam collar make the craft one of the safest boats on the water. The RB-S features an all-welded, self-bailing deck; insulated and heated full cabin; upper spotter windows; port and starboard sliding doors; marine electrical cable; stepped transom; and locking long gun storage.
Product Focus
Datamodul´s daughter-company, CONRAC GmbH was awarded by Kelvin Hughes for the delivery of Type Approved TFT Displays in their new and future IBS Programs. Next to the superior performance and quality aspects, one of the main reasons for this decision was, the high level of own development integrated in the concerned TFT monitors. The result can be recognized in the Queen Mary 2 bridge. All TFT displays are delivered in an OEM Chassis-Only version, ready for integration in the special design of the bridge. During the late 1990's Kelvin Hughes realized that the availability of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) for use in bridge navigation displays, such as Radar and ECDIS, was becoming limited.
New Bridge Control Computer Onboard U.S. Navy Vessels
Azonix Corp.'s ProPanel line of industrial computers is being installed aboard CVN 68-USS Nimitz. In association with Henschel Corp. and Newport News Shipbuilding, ProPanel will be used to replace dial and gauge systems used in such critical applications as remote control of flight deck firefighting equipment and monitoring of navigation, ship control and meteorology systems. In engineering trials required for qualification in the Navy's COTS (commerical off-the-shelf) program, ProPanel was subjected to extremes of shock, electromagnetic radiation and humidity. Trials included the U.S. Navy's barge test, where depth charges were detonated under a 20 x 60 ft. steel barge, holding panel- and wall-mounted ProPanels.
PC Operator Workstation Uniquely Suited For Maritime Use
For the maritime industry, the advent of the personal computer and related control systems has been a boon. Bridge, propulsion and a host of other onboard controls, formerly a hodgepodge of nonstandard analog and digital systems, now are beginning to benefit from the compactness and standardization of the PC and related control architectures. "Open" systems (PC industry terminology for a variety of compatibility standards) and the familiar Windows user interface makes PC-based systems relatively easy to integrate, install, maintain and use. From bridge and deck stations to the engine room and the hold, the PC is here to stay. But between the familiar "pizza box" or "tower" design of commercial PCs and the rugged models that can stand up to the rigors of onboard operation lies a wide gulf.
