Vessel Automation Systems News

The marine industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with many looking to lower transportation costs while demanding the highest environmental and safety standards. Automating vessel operations and systems can significantly improve a vessel owner’s competitive edge in the market, by reducing staffing requirements, improving asset management, maintenance costs and minimizing risk of environmental incidents due to human error. On a ship, there are many parameters that needs to be controlled or monitored including: temperature…

Wärtsilä and Emerson Process Management at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston announced yesterday an expansion of their global offshore alliance. Under this expansion, they can now deliver integrated energy and automation systems for Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels and semi submersible oil and gas drilling rigs. The companies' expanded relationship combines the process automation knowledge and state-of-the-art measurements and digital automation technology of Emerson…

Autoship Systems Corp. of Vancouver, Canada, along with its partner Coastdesign, Norway have recently signed a contract with Kongsberg Simrad AS for the development of an interface between Autoship's Autoload program and Simrad's Vessel Control System (VCS). Autoload is a DNV type-approved onboard stability and strength monitoring program, while VCS includes dynamic positioning and joystick-control systems, position mooring, thruster control and vessel automation systems. The premiere application of the VCS/Autoload combination will be installed on a drilling rig owned by Sedco Forex Offshore — the offshore contract drilling business owned by Schlumberger.