Onboard Control Systems News

The world's largest, and first custom-built, diamond recovery vessel, to be owned by Debmarine Namibia, will feature an advanced power system by the Swiss company ABB.The vessel is being built by Damen at Damen Shipyards Mangalia on the Black Sea in Romania. The newbuild will be delivered to Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group in 2022. De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company.Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world…

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.