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42 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News ? AUGUST 2014 REPAIR & MAINTENANCE Remote Remote Diagnos ? cs Diagnos? csHelp to Drive Ship & Equipment EfÞ ciency Gains With the advent of ever faster, stronger maritime communication links and the inß ux of the next maritime generation, the Þ rst ?internet native? generation, a proliferation of shipboard tools are under development that promise to change the very means in which ß oating assets are built and main- tained. Imtech Marine is convinced that accelerated uptake of remote diagnostics and preventive maintenance for ship-board equipment will be built on perfor- mance gains that are straightforward and tangible.Frank Berends heads a team at Imtech Marine typifying a fast-evolving new breed of marine engineering specialists, one whose dedication to optimizing and maintaining shipboard equipment re-mains unchanged, but whose presence is largely required ashore. But Imtech is not simply in the busi-ness of providing the physical tools to accomplish the task. Realizing the vessel owner operators today are tasked with an ever evolving spiral of technical matters surrounding their ß eets, they aim to as- sist with technical experts. The marine technology group and global service provider is at the forefront in delivering expertise in remote perfor- mance analysis, testing, fault-Þ nding, maintaining and optimizing the perfor- mance of shipboard equipment on which efÞ cient operations depend. Backed by three Global Technology Assistance Centers (GTAC) in Houston, Singapore and Rotterdam, the Imtech Marine technical team is available 24/7 to interpret monitored data, offer diag- nostics support and remote maintenance. From the GTAC centers, engineers sup- port technologies as diverse as:? VSAT ? Integrated Bridge Systems ? Shipboard ICT/Infrastructure ? E-Systems? Integrated Platform Management Systems? AV/Entertainment, and ? HVAC Nico van Leeuwen, Imtech Marine Director Global Service Sales, positions the Imtech Marine of today as a ?sys-tems integrator plus?, taking a ?cables to data? approach that combines expertise on shipboard systems with benchmarked performance analysis undertaken ashore. ?Having and analyzing the right information through our global service database at the right time means we can make informed decisions on how, where and when to execute routine mainte-nance, software installations, hardware replacements or upgrades,? he said.Imtech Marine is also relaunching Radio Holland as the brand to identify its entire navigation and communica-tions service portfolio, including remote monitoring - a move Van Leeuwen says emphasizes the ?resilience of the RH brand?, and its strong reputation for ser- vice.?With Remote Monitoring, potential problems will be signalled pro-actively and in many cases before they actually happen,? said Berends. ?At the same time, advice offered online can cover anything from routine maintenance to software upgrades, to operator error. If direct intervention is not required, re-mote support is enhanced via a Custom-er Portal that gives access to all technical information, such as drawings, manuals, circulars, FAQ?s, Trouble-shooter, up- dates and software updates.? One beneÞ t is that fault- Þ nding can be done remotely, avoiding both the costs and inevitable time lags involved in Pictured above is Oleg Strashnov, a crane vessel on approach Rotterdam. MR #8 (42-49).indd 42MR #8 (42-49).indd 428/4/2014 12:14:32 PM8/4/2014 12:14:32 PM
