Wärtsilä’s Propulsion Condition Monitoring Service recognised by three major classification societies
Wärtsilä has received service level recognition for its Propulsion Condition Monitoring Service (PCMS) by DNV-GL. Wärtsilä is the first company to attain this type of recognition from three of the major classification societies, namely the American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd’s Register, and DNV-GL, the company said in its press release.
The approval, which was received in February 2014, means that surveyors from the classification societies may rely on Wärtsilä’s PCMS when assessing propulsion equipment. This eliminates the need for the compulsory five-year internal inspection, which often requires dry-docking. Instead, with the Wärtsilä PCMS continuously monitoring the equipment, major thruster overhauls can be carried out at intervals of anywhere between five and 10 years, based on the actual condition of the propulsion equipment. PCMS increases the reliability and availability of monitored equipment and reduces overall lifecycle costs.
The service level recognition represents confirmation that Wärtsilä’s PCMS is well suited for its intended purpose of condition monitoring and condition based maintenance of propulsion equipment. Furthermore, by replacing visual internal inspections with a yearly review of the PCMS reports, surveyors can more easily make decisions affecting classification or statutory surveys to ensure compliance with applicable class rules and various international conventions.
“Financially this will have a big efficiency impact on the operations of marine customers. PCMS enables condition based maintenance and eliminates the need to perform an overhaul simultaneously with the compulsory five year inspections, unless of course, PCMS shows there is a need for it. Prior to attaining this service level recognition, approvals could only be given on a vessel by vessel basis. With the service level recognition, this will become much easier,” says Frank Velthuis, Manager of Wärtsilä’s CBM Centre Propulsion.
Wärtsilä sees its condition and performance monitoring services as being a prerequisite to supporting customers in the future, and a logical complement to its service agreements business. Monitoring the performance and condition of a ship’s equipment enables owners to optimise its usage and predict the maintenance need, thereby improving asset performance and reducing the total cost of ownership.
Wärtsilä is a global supplier of a full range of products, solutions and services for the marine industry. This capability is backed by the industry’s most complete network of service and repair facilities with operations in more than 160 locations in some 70 countries. The company’s Services & Support Business has the broadest offering in the industry. It ranges from basic support, installation and commissioning, performance optimization, upgrades, conversions and environmental solutions, to service projects and agreements focusing on overall equipment performance and asset management.