SCHOTTEL Unveils New Digital Products and Services
German propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL announced it is rolling out new digital products and services for optimizing ship operations.
“Basically, we are creating a virtual image of the propulsion system on land, thus providing insights into the propulsion system. This information can then be used to plan operational and strategic deployments better,” said Alexander Neideck, Product Manager Automation & Digital Products at SCHOTTEL.
A hub for data collection, processing and evaluation directly on board the vessel, SCHOTTEL MariHub records and analyzes signals from sensors, machines and other components. In addition, MariHub functions as a fault monitoring system: the signals are continuously recorded and stored, and warnings and alarms are generated if a limit value is exceeded.
MariHub performs a large part of the analyses independently on board and generates messages based on common process and measurement values. These values can be viewed by means of an integrated control panel on the MariHub system or are sent automatically to the IoT platform MariNet via an encrypted connection. If there is no stable internet connection, the cached data can be transferred automatically or manually at a later time.
Stefan Buch, Vice President After Sales Service at SCHOTTEL, said, “For our customers, the focus is on safe, reliable and economical operation during the vessel’s entire service life. We contribute to this with our data analyses which, in turn, provide the needed information and recommendations for taking corresponding action.”
According to SCHOTTEL, operators benefit from further applications when using its MariNet platform. ProData, the integrated IoT service, allows the data collected by MariHub to be viewed online from anywhere. It provides information on the operation conditions and equipment status and helps to identify optimization potential. The processed data can be used for planning the strategic deployment and development of the entire fleet, which helps to maximize the potential of the vessels.
ProCMS, the condition monitoring service for SCHOTTEL propulsion systems, uses an algorithm to monitor the latest measured values regularly and notifies at an early stage if there are any acute signs of wear or damage to specific components. This minimizes the risk of consequential damage and ensures that downtimes are as short as possible and can be planned, SCHOTTEL said.
Certified SCHOTTEL experts such as Markus Wilbert, Team Manager Service Technical Support, continuously monitor the results: “We analyze the data, constantly adjust limit values and regularly prepare measurement reports. This allows us to make condition-based maintenance recommendations at any time. In this way, we make sure that maintenance is carried out at the right time.” The created condition reports are the basis for planning dry-dock maintenance better.
Besides the permanently installed MariHub monitoring system, the SCHOTTEL range also includes VibCheck, a mobile system for evaluating the condition of the propulsion system. SCHOTTEL service engineers carry out vibration measurements on the vessel’s installed units using a portable measuring device. This measurement data is transferred manually and analyzed by experts. The results enable more targeted maintenance planning and spare parts logistics, especially for older vessels.