Keeping the marine industry profitable

Keeping the marine industry profitableTop tips for improving performance and efficiency

ABB service

2 Top tips for improving performance and efficiency | Keeping the marine industry profitable

Top tips for improving performance and efficiency | Keeping the marine industry profitable 3

Keeping the marine industry profitable.Top tips for improving performance and efficiency

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Shipping lines today face many challenges to maintain profitability. ABB has recently identified these as among the industry’s top four concerns:

1. Managing environmental impact and energy use 2. Controlling crew cost and enhancing competency 3. Avoiding failure at sea 4. Support of aging vessels

Here we explore each and offer tips to ensure a healthy operating margin.


Chapter 1 - Controlling crew cost and enhancing competency

In difficult financial times, to keep a rein on costs, many shipping companies take a close look at their core competence versus outsourcing. As such, it is not uncommon for shipping companies to outsource full technical ship management including crewing, purchasing and maintenance.

It is still a challenge, throughout the marine industry, to recruit and retain people with relevant competence and experience and at the right price – crew costs are one of the highest operational costs for a shipping line. As such, many shipping lines consider the outsourcing of specialist functions such as electrical plant maintenance as an essential part of their strategy. It is in the outsourcing of maintenance and engineering support where specialist companies like ABB can add significant value.

To help vessel operators overcome these challenges, ABB has developed a three-pronged approach. Firstly, it offers its own engineers, fully trained in the various marine-standard electrical, automation and instrumentation disciplines and to the highest technical and safety calibre. With ABB’s worldwide reach through its marine service centres, these engineers can join vessels globally and quickly have an impact on the engineering efficiency of onboard plant. Secondly, it has developed a series of high-tech engineering tools, like remote diagnostics, that can impact on the performance of a vessel. Finally, it has global marine academies’ for training customers, as well as its own


engineers, in a broad spectrum of engineering, power and automation courses.

Outsourcing specialised tasks can realise lower crew training costs (including periodic re-certification which may otherwise be needed), reduce the need for specialisation and help keep abreast of the latest technological developments. Outsourcing the healthcare and maintenance of some electrical plant, for instance, provides a proactive approach rather than the traditional reactive relationship with which some customers still engage. This means that the change of equipment failure is significantly reduced, giving crew the breathing space to ensure efficient and safe vessel operation instead of the ‘firefighting’ approach that often occurs. Ultimately this leads to a safer, more reliable vessel.

Part of the success of outsourcing is that the supplier, such as ABB, can bring a range of advanced monitoring, measuring and reporting tools that can help efficiently keep plant up and running, thereby dramatically cutting the cost of maintenance. Such tools include condition monitoring and remote diagnostics.

Remote diagnostics For instance, remote diagnostic services (RDS) can monitor,

measure and alert to faults across an array of ABB equipment from vessel thruster systems, motors, drives, switchgear, circuit breakers, protection relays, instrumentation and automation systems.

RDS comprises a remote connection, diagnostic solutions and service agreements. The remote connection links up a vessel’s engineers at sea with a qualified ABB service engineer, located onshore, who can monitor, analyse and troubleshoot.

Controlling crew cost and enhancing competency


A central network of high-availability servers at the onshore ABB Computer Centre are used to manage all the customers’ systems which can be accessed via RDS and their authorised users. A virtual service engineer (VSE) is a software package that is installed on one of the ABB computers on the customer’s side and acts as a software-site-manager. The VSE sets up a secure, encrypted communication with the service centre and signals its availability and readiness for a remote maintenance session. With the VSE-installed PC connected to the internet from anywhere in the world, the VSE will automatically contact the service centre to make remote connection possible. This concept has been proven in the demanding production environment of the Norwegian oil drill ships.

When required, an authorised ABB service engineer can log on to the service centre and request permission to connect to a vessel’s installed diagnostics system.

With this set-up a series of diagnostics can be carried out to help the operator determine the status of the equipment, and, in the event of a problem, identify the source.

The system is completely modular to allow expansion from monitoring and diagnosis of a few critical components or subsystems, to a full multi-disciplinary diagnostic system for the vessel’s power plant and electric propulsion system. Although RDS has very advanced functions it is straightforward to implement and user-friendly.

To collect and correlate data for condition monitoring and troubleshooting from variable-speed drives, PLCs and switchboard relays, ABB has developed a purpose built hardware platform. This device allows the sharing of data collected from individual components or sub-systems; simple and intuitive functions for on-demand monitoring of signals; and storage of all recorded data in the database for later reference.

For fast and efficient remote support of ABB’s full marine technology portfolio, the company offer service agreements configured to suit individual customer needs. The agreement can cover:

– Troubleshooting - on demand connection by an ABB service engineer

– Prevention - in addition to the above, an ABB service engineer periodically connects to the remote system, performs a detailed health-check and advises corrective measures

– Continuous - in addition to the above, critical alarms and process statuses are relayed to an ABB service centre from where counter-measures can be launched immediately.



Scheduled and unscheduled cases are handled by the ABB marine RDS Operations Center in Norway. The centre is manned 24/7/365 and members of the RDS team are trained to support all ABB marine systems included in the RDS programme. All incidents and requests are logged by the engineer on duty and on-call service initiated by remote support is performed by qualified service personnel from the closest ABB global marine services centre.

Competency management - Marine academy

Training remains a priority throughout the marine sector and having a high level of crew competency can ensure efficient and safe vessel operations. To meet the demand for highly skilled personnel, ABB has compiled a comprehensive schedule of courses that can be taken either at its marine academies in Singapore or Finland, interactive on-board training sessions or, via e-learning. The courses are tailored towards particular vessel types and are DNV approved where relevant. All can be accessed via the local marine service centre.

The training course portfolio is designed to cover general, safety and advanced system training. The target groups are technical crew as well as other marine professionals. The technical crew is divided into electrical engineers and mechanical engineers, thereby highlighting the courses’ focus on technology.

The general courses introduce the ABB onboard system as a whole, with the contents tailored according to the actual customer installation. The advanced courses deepen the customer’s knowledge by focusing on one sub-system at a time.



Safety courses for marine high voltage systems and Azipod confined spaces are offered. The objective of these courses is to provide knowledge and skills for managing risks and adapt safe working methods of high voltage environments and confined spaces. The contents are in accordance with accepted international standards, rules and regulations.

ABB is continuously building up new hands-on learning environments in order to maximize learning with the best available methods. Currently it is able to deliver hands on training on all of the existing marine drive types, switchgear equipment, full-size large Azipod hydraulic steering unit, Azipod C systems, marine automation and diesel electric Azipod vessel operation.

While most of ABB’s standard training courses are designed to be delivered in an ABB training centre environment, the onboard training approach is about co-operation and learning together. In an onboard training session, the ABB marine field engineer is the instructor.

The engineer executes, together with a crew, a list of tasks that has been agreed in advance. Training objectives for the onboard session are stated together with the actual crew.

ABB has also developed its electronic Maintenance Support Tool (eMST®). This tool is a novel concept enabling just-in-time access to highly focused e-learning material.

eMST® delivers instructions for the daily crew maintenance tasks and is produced by a specialised ABB organisation that includes full-time project management personnel, experienced ABB marine maintenance specialists, and a complete network of subcontractors from the area of graphical and usability design.

The eMST® objectives are always agreed together with the customer, depending on the scope of the ABB equipment, the amount of crew tasks, and the desired competence level of the crew. The learning content is exclusively system specific. It includes photos, videos, animations and instructional texts produced for the actual on board system.




Summary

There are many variables to consider and marine operators should take great care to implement a strategy that meets their business needs and financial constraints. This will usually be a combination of managing crew competency with outsourced assistance for irregular or specialised operations. It should be noted, in conclusion, that whilst many of the traditional maintenance techniques are still applicable, new technology is allowing vessel operators to reduce training and crew costs whilst improving equipment effectiveness.

10 Top tips for improving performance and efficiency | Top tips for improving performance and efficiency | Keeping the marine industry profitable

Chapter 2 - Marine environmental impact and energy use

Bridging the environmental gap in shipping

Faced with current and anticipated legislation, increasing customer environmental awareness among cargo owners and passengers plus fuel cost rises, there has never been a better time for the senior management of shipping companies to rationalise their company’s energy use.

From emissions reduction, improved fuel use through to the environmental impact of new builds, the shipping industry faces a challenging future.

Emissions reduction

In 2007 the global shipping industry is estimated to have emitted 1,046 million tonnes of CO2, which is some 3.3 percent of total global emissions. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) predicts a 250 percent rise in emission levels as a result of expanding sea transport, if suitable energy efficiency policies are not implemented.

Yet legislation has in many respects by-passed the shipping sector as reflected by its exclusion from international agreements such as the Kyoto protocol. Even though shipping is recognised as the cleanest form of transporting goods, with the least damage per tonne of cargo, ship exhaust emissions are regarded as the industry’s biggest polluter.


So although the marine industry has consistently resisted taking any significant measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, it now looks like it will finally bow to pressure, as many governments now want to include shipping in future agreements. As such IMO is implementing, by 2015, new sulphur emission targets for marine fuel oil. IMO has also demonstrated a potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 25 to 75 percent for newbuilds, as well as for ships already operational, simply through an increased focus on energy efficiency.

Improved fuel use

An important environmental driver for the shipping sector is fuel. Bunker fuel accounts for some 50 percent of the total transport costs of a tanker company. With its direct connection to crude oil prices, it can only get more expensive. Fuel costs are further compounded for those vessels that generate emissions while docked in port by running their auxiliary engines to create onboard electric power. In ports with heavy ship traffic, this practice creates emissions and negative health and environmental impact to the local surrounding communities.

A shore-to-ship electric power supply can help eliminate pollution problems such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and particle discharge as well as noise and vibration from ships in port. With shore-to-ship power, ships can shut down their engines while berthed and plug into an onshore power source. The ship´s power load is seamlessly transferred to the shoreside power supply without disruption to onboard services, eliminating emissions to the local environment.

ABB offers a complete, seamlessly integrated shore-to-ship power solution for safe and reliable power transfer from the public electric

Marine environmental impact and energy use


power grid to the ship while in port. This complies with international standards laid out by the relevant professional bodies.

Environmental impact of new builds To further reduce emissions, IMO agreed to adopt mandatory

energy efficiency design standards for new ships. The regulations will require the use of an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships, stipulating a specific level of energy efficiency to be attained, and a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) for all ships.

The amendments to the MARPOL regulations, which are expected to come into force in January 2013, will apply to all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above. Ships built between 2015 and 2019 will have to be 10 percent more efficient, rising to 20 percent between 2020 and 2024 and 30 percent thereafter. But new ships already contracted or under construction in developing nations when the new regulations come into force may be exempt from the scheme.

So there are plenty reasons why environmental issues and energy efficiency are now high on the agenda.

But why wait for the legislation?

Working now with energy efficiency can prepare the path for this inevitable environmental legislation. Some cargo owners are already considering the environmental performance of their transport providers based on voluntarily submitted environmental data. As part of the EEDI and SEEMP, IMO is also considering the idea of vessels displaying their energy performance through theses design and operation indices.

Away from these initiatives, shipping companies can take some straightforward action ranging from speed control of pumps and fans through to recycling heat.

Energy-saving variable-speed drives A major cruise liner company worked with ABB to install ABB’s

market leading variable-speed drives (VSDs) on large onboard fans and blowers throughout its fleet. VSD control ensures that the fans always run at the optimum speed which significantly reduces emissions and fuel costs through reduction in energy use. The first two ships saved 1,820 tons of bunker fuel and reduced emissions by 5,732 tons during the 12 months following the upgrade.



The biggest commercial benefit of energy saving is that it directly results in profit. Take a shipping company where 50 percent of costs are fuel and profits are 10 percent of turnover, then a 10 percent decrease in fuel consumption would increase profit by 45 percent.

The reality for the marine industry is that cost-efficient technology to save energy exists; it is just not being implemented rapidly enough. The result is that the industry faces an energy-efficiency gap. Researchers have found the reasons for the slow uptake of new technology are organisational failure, lack of time and shortage of competence. There is often no long term energy strategy with energy issues being given low priority.

Yet the payback for many of today’s energy-saving technologies – most notably drives and motors – can be within months. It is a case of identifying many applications that offer a small saving from energy-efficiency measures, yet collectively they add up to a significant total saving.

Marine energy appraisal service

To help the shipping industry find the applications that can most benefit from energy-saving technologies, ABB has devised a marine energy appraisal service that aims to identify the motor-driven applications that can benefit from the use of variable-speed drives, with payback often under two years.

Among the large energy consumers on board vessels, are seawater cooling pumps, chilled water pumps and engine room ventilation fans. These applications are often over-dimensioned to handle the most extreme conditions. In addition they typically operate at full capacity even when demand is not high. Any flow control is often through mechanical devices such as bypass valves and dampers which are inefficient in that they effectively waste energy.

Utilising variable-speed drives to adjust the speed of the motors according to demand, can very often reduce the energy consumed by about 50 percent with payback on equipment and installation, from fuel savings alone, in less than one year.

Lowering energy consumption helps to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions because of reduced load on the vessels diesel generators. A single average size seawater cooling pump can save $29,000 and 117 tons of CO2 per year. When applied ship-wide and fleet-wide these savings can be tremendous.



There is a large potential for retrofitting existing ships with new fuel-reducing technologies. For example, only around 2 percent of the global fleet is currently equipped with variable-speed drives for their seawater cooling pumps, which means that 98 percent of the fleet is missing an opportunity for high fuel savings, environmental and commercial rewards.

The energy saving measures are not confined to one part of the shipping industry. They are relevant to most market sectors, single ships or entire fleets, planned newbuilds as well as operating old vessels.


Marine energy appraisal – What’s involved

1. ABB surveys the vessel to identify motor-driven applications that can benefit from energy saving technology.

2. Input data and documentation are collected during an

on-board survey including: a. Ship’s heat balance calculation b. Air balance calculation c. Layout of the systems d. Machinery datasheet e. Schedule of ship’s route f. Current system management g. Survey on board h. Vessel operational profile 3. The energy appraisal is undertaken to find comparison

between power consumption and demand. 4. A final report verifies the results including a return on

investment. Typical findings may include: a. Vessel has been designed for worst climate

condition b. Motors of fans and pumps run only at fixed speed c. The current cooling or pumping system is wasting

up to 70 percent of energy

5. A cost proposal for implementing improvements is presented showing investment costs, payback and environmental improvements

6. If accepted an installation site survey is carried out 7. The results are verified to confirm the actual saving.


Energy Management System

From the very start, senior management needs to be engaged in environmental and energy efficiency issues. They should appoint an energy champion with agreed key targets, responsibilities and authority and provide the resources necessary to deal efficiently with the company’s energy issues. This is essential to avoid the “when everyone is responsible, often no one is responsible” scenario. The champion then needs to develop an in-depth understanding of the company’s present and expected energy consumption. Only then can accurate measurements, comparisons and follow-ups be implemented. As the old adage goes, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

Companies should consider an Energy Management System (EMS) which recognises that proper procedures for measuring and following-up results are as important as being able to plan and implement. The aim of an EMS is to maximise profits, while minimising costs and increase the company’s competitiveness. For example, it addresses all aspects such as bringing together employees that affect energy performance. Often such employees are physically and organisationally far apart from those making decisions on investments - one may be stationed on a vessel while the other is located in an office somewhere else in the world. A ‘top down’ communication of energy management commitment as part of the desired organisational culture can help galvanise support.

Another aspect of an EMS is to map and analyse energy usage. This provides data to assess measures and decide on goals for energy efficiency that are challenging but still achievable. Yet it all depends on having a structure in place.

For those companies – and there are many – who are still working on their energy strategy, ABB has come up with a very attractive answer. ABB’s projects and consulting service provides retrofit options that enhance productivity, safety, energy efficiency and environmental impact. ABB has the skills and resource for consulting, implementing and overseeing the complete modernisation project.

Energy monitoring and management tool

Supporting the ABB projects and consulting services are a series of management services, one of which is an energy monitoring and management (EMMA) tool which can have a big impact on fuel cost reduction. EMMA has been developed specifically for marine companies to operate a ship, several



ships or a whole fleet with best possible energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. It puts energy on the agenda throughout the company and makes it possible to optimise energy-related processes, practices and decisions, all the way from the engine room to the board room.

For the ship owner, EMMA represents a key element of an energy management program for improving profitability and reducing the company’s overall environmental footprint. Whether a single ship or an entire fleet, the monitoring software gives almost complete visibility to energy production and consumption performance. ABB’s trained consultants support the staff onboard and onshore to interpret the information, identify improvement areas, set targets, and coach the staff in running the vessel more efficiently. The management onshore receives consulting and benchmarking services in running the fleet more efficiently in order to optimize the return-on-investment. Owners can expect a payback for the service package, consisting of a license and management fee, within 12 months.

EMMA is not a technically complex system, but highly developed software running on ordinary PCs onboard and ashore. The system’s users include crew members with specific responsibilities for energy consumption onboard and personnel with responsibility for the fleet’s overall energy costs, emissions and competitiveness.

In many shipping companies energy use is not transparent. Even when relevant information is logged, the data is often not understood, interpreted or used correctly. Lack of meaningful performance data can make it difficult to assess the implemented measures, which in turn could hinder continued investments in energy efficiency or the acknowledgement of any successes.




The current challenges facing the shipping industry are immense, from environmental regulation, rising fuel prices and international bodies imposing tougher environmental requirements. But at least with services such as ABB’s shore-to-ship power supply, marine energy appraisal scheme and EMMA, the voyage to energy efficiency just a became a lot easier to navigate.


Chapter 3 - Avoiding failure at sea

Without doubt, a major way to avoid vessel failure at sea is developing and implementing a proactive maintenance strategy. We look at some of the latest techniques being employed by the ‘best in class’.

Through careful maintenance planning a shipping line or vessel operator can minimise the risk of unexpected repairs and costly off-charter. But how do you avoid investing too little in your maintenance or too much, for that matter?

A carefully planned and risk-based maintenance strategy is the answer. This is achieved by using a combination of preventive maintenance, proactive condition monitoring and corrective interventions whenever required.

As a foundation for long term maintenance, ABB can perform an assessment that delivers a complete strategic maintenance plan for the equipment used onboard. Through discussion and understanding, this is tailored to the customers market, vessel operating profile and budget. If predictable annual costs are important, a service contract is an effective way to clarify the maintenance budget and to allocate maintenance tasks optimally between the supplier and the crew.

Planned preventive maintenance

Investing in prevention of failure can be the difference between retaining long-term competitiveness or not.

Co-ordinated and planned maintenance programmes aim to provide lifetime reliability to electrical plant and systems. Such programmes are customised with technical support, the correct spares, and maintenance kits for upgrades. Maintenance is planned around a vessels sea-going time and plant schedules, in accordance with specific time- or condition-based milestones.

The benefits are many. Risks of lost operation are minimised as are environmental and safety issues. The premature replacement of parts is avoided, thereby reducing the real cost of maintenance. Extended life cycles reduce capital spend to enable investment to be directed to more critical areas. And finally unplanned disruption is avoided so that resources can be deployed more effectively.


Inspection technologies lower maintenance needs The marine industry demands a high level of performance from

their electrical assets and any downtime can be extremely costly. In the case of a large generator or induction motor, a failure or unplanned maintenance action can result in significant issues for a vessel operator. Lead time for replacement units is often long and the capital cost high, however, this can be a fraction of the true cost if a vessel has to be taken ‘off-charter’ or cannot operate to its intended performance levels.

To help with preventive maintenance programmes, a range of high-tech tools are available. Condition monitoring is one such tool. It provides valuable maintenance information that can be carried out while the equipment is running. By measuring on a regular basis, trends can be observed. This allows an overhaul to be planned ahead, such as when the vessel is due a yard stay.

ABB has developed a range of service technologies that can, analyse the condition of many electrical items without the need for costly dry dockings or general system outages.

Conditioning monitoring increases vessel availability

In particular, a suite of services that accurately pinpoint the condition of rotating machines (large induction motors and electrical generators) offers the marine industry new possibilities

Avoiding failure at sea


to improve their operations, increase vessel availability and reduce maintenance costs.

LEAP (Life Expectancy Analysis Program) and MACHsense P are the core products and allied with more traditional actions such as boroscopic inspection, ensure a high degree of confidence in the condition of the machines.

LEAP provides precise information on the remaining lifetime of the stator windings of a high voltage machine with a high degree of confidence. Having access to this data significantly reduces the risk of shut downs caused by unforeseen failures. In addition, standard preventive maintenance can be planned around a vessel docking rather than rigidly sticking to the manufacturer’s preventative maintenance guidelines.

MACHsense-P - which holds three patents - is a new condition monitoring service for large machines that can detect potential failure well in advance. The service can spot trouble with bearings, rotor winding defects, imbalances, internal misalignments and voltage abnormalities, providing an early-warning to plant engineers, thereby saving considerable costly downtime.

The service provides accurate diagnosis; reports quickly, with a summary delivered on-site; includes integrated analysis for current, voltage and vibration; rates defects clearly, by severity; recommends specific repairs; considers machine design in judging defect severity; reduces unplanned downtime; and issues early warnings, allowing time for planning maintenance.

The key is ABB’s intelligent software, which analyses vibrations and other data collected from the motor with remarkable



accuracy. The analysis system uses algorithms that pick out specific signals. These algorithms are used to estimate defect indices and criticality for each specific machine. MACHsense–P is a reliable early warning system that provides an opportunity for effective maintenance planning during the initial stages of defect development.

UK vessel operators can now realise high operational and financial benefits by integrating these services into their maintenance strategy.

If you’re concerned about bearings, the system can isolate the signals coming from the bearings itself. More than 60 percent of failures in squirrel-cage motors occur in the bearings. When bearings develop faults they can lead to catastrophic failure.

Technicians at ABB service centres in 35 countries, including the UK, are now trained to use ABB MACHsense-P. The technician attaches sensors to the motor being tested at the customer’s site. Certain sensors, using accelerometers, convert vibrations into electrical signals. Others measure electrical data. The signals are picked up by a data collector, which is in turn connected to a laptop. In one day, a technician can usually test between four and six motors.

The customer immediately receives an on-site summary of the motor’s performance, which is presented as a colour-coded report rating four key areas: anti-friction bearings, cage rotor, installation and power supply. Later, following extensive analysis by experts, the customer receives a more detailed report for those motors highlighted in initial site summary as being of concern.



This service could extend the working life of thousands of motors, running in critical applications worldwide.

MACHsense-P service is available in one of two ways. A ‘standard’ service comes as part of a regular six-month maintenance plan, while ‘advanced’ service refers to a one-time intervention to troubleshoot a specific problem.

Summary A good maintenance strategy, together with implementation and

working together in a partnership, provides the best results to ensure a vessel remains at sea without unplanned breakdowns.

But most importantly, shipping lines should look at harnessing the power of condition based maintenance. Having the ability to monitor the condition of a large machine and generator by measuring vibration and high frequency noise can give a good indication of the machine’s health and a prediction of just how long that machine will last.



Chapter 4 - Life cycle management - Support of aging assets

Intelligent management of a vessel’s aging electrical assets can unlock hidden profits for the shipping company.

As a ship’s electrical plant ages, it becomes imperative that a life cycle management plan is in place to ensure critical assets are supportable. ABB has devised a series of life cycle services that protect the operation of critical electrical plant and systems. ABB calls this life cycle management and it is proving a big hit with shipping companies that are keen to extend the life of a vessel by many years. For many shipping companies, the implication of not managing their assets can be costly, in some cases costing tens of thousands of pounds through operational downtime.

Yet many companies are blind to the benefits offered by managing equipment obsolescence. The reason is simply one of education. Both large and small operators are beginning to realise that electrical and automation plant and systems can not last forever as technology evolves at a rapid pace. In addition to the systems, knowledge and skills become rare for obsolescent plant. They are realising that if the systems are maintained regularly throughout the life cycle then they can keep abreast of the latest software and hardware updates. In fact the system may be very different to the one that they purchased initially, but the transition to get there will have been seamless, painless and comparatively low cost.

It is important that the senior management of shipping operators embrace this concept and learn how to manage the life cycle of their assets more effectively in order to stay competitive in the marketplace. It is no use if a failure occurs and spares for a high voltage circuit breaker cannot be obtained or if a vessel automation system has missed a series of software upgrades and cannot be supported.

Life cycle appraisal ABB advocates a life cycle appraisal. This can be done by

the local ABB marine service centre and should be requested routinely (an annual review is sensible). The output of this appraisal is a life cycle map which identifies the life cycle status of all electrical plant.


Certain products, like transformers, do not have a life cycle map. They are simply replaced at the end of their useful life. But other electrical plant, like variable-speed drives, rotating machines (motors and generators), automation and switchgear can be mapped throughout their entire life cycle.

If the shipping line has the equipment list for that vessel, then the mapping of assets can be carried out by ABB without visiting the vessel. Armed with the list ABB can normally make an assessment of the life cycle of the assets within half-a-day. This way a customer knows exactly the status of all equipment; if there are likely to be any problems with spares; forward plan maintenance investments; and improved long term planning of capital and operational expenditure.

Life cycle management model

Supporting the life cycle appraisal is a life cycle management model that helps companies recognise the phase of their electrical and automation equipment. It has four-phases comprising “active”, “classic”, “limited” and “obsolete”.

The model is being used to help the industry determine what level of support is needed on existing installations. It covers the entire scope of supply of ABB products and systems from ABB’s Extended Automation System 800xA distributed control system through to low and medium voltage drives, generators, AVRs and switchgear .

During the “active” and “classic” phase, the complete life cycle services – from product selection and dimensioning, installation and commissioning, preventive and corrective maintenance, remote monitoring and intelligent diagnostics, technical support, upgrade and retrofit, replacement and recycling plus training and learning – are available. A product in the “classic” phase will not be actively promoted by the sales team but will still enjoy comprehensive support.

During the “limited” stage the equipment is no longer available for purchase. The services offered are limited. Spare parts, maintenance and repair services are available as long as materials can be obtained. In the “obsolete” phase, the equipment is not available. ABB cannot guarantee availability of services for technical reasons or within reasonable cost.

Life cycle management - Support of aging assets

ABB drives | Life cycle services for low voltage drives 3

ABB drive life cycle management model

ABB follows a four-phase model for managing drive life cycles, which brings enhanced customer support and improved effi ciency.

Examples of life cycle services are: selection and dimensioning, installation and commissioning, preventive and corrective maintenance, remote services, spare part services, training and learning, technical support, upgrade and retrofi t, replacement and recycling.

- Spare part, maintenance and repair services are available as long as materials can be obtained.

- ABB cannot guarantee availability of life cycle services for technical reasons or within reasonable cost.

Limited life cycle services

Caution! A drive entering the Limited or Obsolete phase has limited repair options. This may result in unpredictable process downtime. To avoid this possibility, the drive should be kept in the Active or Classic phase.

Limited ObsoleteActive Classic

Maximizing return on investmentAt the heart of ABB’s services is its drive life cycle management model. All services available for ABB low voltage drives are planned according to this model. For customers it is easy to see which services are available at which phase.

Drive specific maintenance schedules are also based on this four-phase model. Thus, a customer knows precisely

One of the most efficient ways to improve productivity and to maximize process uptime is to establish a contract which can include a combination of individual services such as training, technical support and preventive and corrective maintenance.

Reduced environmental impactBefore purchasing a drive, ABB offers an energy appraisal to determine which applications can benefit from the use of drives. During operation and maintenance, tuning of the drive maximizes its energy savings. Additionally, when the drive life cycle is complete, ABB can ensure that the drive is disposed of in a way that meets all local environmental regulations.

Enhanced safetySeeking advice from ABB at the selection and dimensioning stage helps ensure that the right drive is chosen with the correct safety features. Helpful safety advice continues into the installation and commissioning stage.

Throughout the drive’s lifetime, services such as remote monitoring help protect the safety of the plant by rapidly diagnosing and rectifying faults.

the timing of the part replacements plus all other maintenance related actions. The model also helps the customer when deciding about upgrades, retrofits and replacements.

Professional management of the drive’s life cycle maximizes the return on any investment in ABB low voltage drives.

- The drive, with complete life cycle services, is available for purchase.

- The drive, with complete life cycle services, is available for plant extensions.

Complete life cycle services

To ensure the availability of complete life cycle services, a drive must be in the Active or Classic phase. A drive can be kept in the Active or Classic phase by upgrading, retrofi tting or replacing.


By proactively helping customers manage their electrical assets, then failures and subsequent vessel downtime can be avoided altogether. Migration to the current technology can be phased to suit vessel dockings and customer budgets.

Many customers do not even realise that their equipment is in the obsolete phase. This can prove extremely costly for applications like drilling vessels. Often when a failure does occur then maintenance tends to be reactive when it could easily be prevented. There is a risk that when a part fails, a replacement part may not be available. The cost to the operator can be huge, particularly if complete replacement of a long lead time item is required. It is important that companies realise there is a sound alternative. One that will not only save money but will reduce the stress and panic of a key system failing.

Marine automation and control systems

In a recent move aimed at serving the needs of the marine automation and control system market, ABB announced a new global Vessel Information and Control organisation, aimed at helping merchant and offshore vessels operate more efficiently and safely.

The organisation will develop automation solutions specifically for marine applications, based on ABB’s field-proven process automation technologies.

Included in the portfolio are marine advisory and fleet management reporting solutions, integrated automation, vessel management and control systems, and marine instrumentation and sensors, all of which help to optimise vessel operations and performance, improve energy efficiency, onboard equipment reliability and availability, and operational safety.

This technology is developed from ABBs well proven and extensive experience in the oil and gas industry.

The demand for upgraded vessel information and control systems has increased, as ship operators must be ready to meet new environmental regulations, while they lower onboard energy use and fuel consumption. ABB’s automation and control technologies provide the visibility and control needed to achieve these goals and improve operating costs.

In 2011, the company sold a total of 350 automation, vessel management and control systems of various types for a wide range of vessels, including drill ships, jack-up drilling rigs, offshore support vessels, and passenger vessels.

Life cycle management - Support of aging assets


Chapter 5 - Index

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