Shiprepair & Maintenance: 4th Quarter 2019
Digitalisation is moving at a rapid pace right across the maritime sector. Most of the major equipment suppliers now have dedicated digital divisions to take advantage of prevailing trends, including big data and the internet of things (IoT).
JFM has, for more than 30 years, been providing condition monitoring (CM) services and dedicated CM software to the shipping industry worldwide. The company offers a range of products and professional services that have the purpose of keeping ships operational to help owners and operators maximise revenue through improved vessel availability, and avoid costs often associated with intrusive & breakdown maintenance.
The speed of digital developments within the maritime sector generally has led the company to make a step change in its CM software to ensure they continue to stay ahead and to meet its customers rapidly evolving needs. In this context JFM is now working on development of Mimic Version 5 (Mimic5), which it aims to launch in the summer of 2020.
Martin Briddon, engineering and business development manager, says, “We are without question in a period of digitalisation, Mimic5 will provide a significant change to the way ship owners and operators see and use condition monitoring data. Mimic5 will be a cross-platform browser application with full capability for distribution on cloud-based platforms to allow JFM’s customers to harness their IoT data”.
The new system will provide a dashboard view across an owners’ fleet of the ongoing condition of critical individual assets, and will link to data platforms. Like earlier versions, Mimic5 will also link into vessel platform management systems and planned maintenance systems to gather data that can be used to influence operational and maintenance decisions.
Martin adds “Mimic5 will see the introduction of dynamic alarms to provide a smarter alarm based on one or many combinations of available parameters. Dynamic alarming will not only enhance the existing condition monitoring techniques but enable the introduction of efficiency alarms. Efficiency alarms will enable the possibility of identifying defects at an earlier stage enabling ship owners and operators to plan maintenance more efficiently resulting in further operational cost savings.”
JFM continues to enjoy considerable success in marketing its condition monitoring technology and expertise within various sectors of the commercial and naval shipping industry. The company is, for example, in the process of installing a mix of Mimic portable and fixed monitoring systems to a fleet of 14 ferries. In addition, JFM is working with a number of the world’s leading cruise lines to deliver Mimic CM systems onboard new-build vessels, and are engaged in discussions with class societies to link into data platforms.
The Mimic Condition Monitoring software comprises intelligent software that analyses asset condition, vibration data, performance and efficiency. It is designed to provide vessel owners and operators with live decision-making data. Briddon believes the Mimic software has important differences with others on the market. He says “Whilst most condition monitoring software systems concentrate on vibration signature monitoring, ultra sound monitoring or oil/fluid analysis, we recognise that condition monitoring starts with numbers. By that I mean the numeric outputs from sensors already onboard, recording speeds, loads, pressures, temperatures as well as things like the number of compressors starts and the time taken to move rudders.”
He points out that modern legislation calls for the collection and monitoring of many forms of data, which can be a complex task. Briddon adds, “Mimic software offers the solution to the collection, storage, display, analysis and transfer of that data, added to which we can supply a fully compliant suite of vibration signature monitoring tools along with automated fluid analysis laboratory results. The compilation of this data allows the user to identify where problems are emerging, and take mitigating action, all within one system.”
James Fisher Mimic is part of James Fisher and Sons plc, a leading marine services company, which has a shipping company background through James Fisher Tanker Ships and JF Everard.
Martin Briddon, engineering and business development manager, JF Mimic.
JF Mimic condition monitoring software allows the users an easy way to view a range of a data parameters.
For further information visit: www.jfmimic.co.uk
