Oil and filter changes at 250 or even 500 hours, as recommended in manufacturers’ maintenance manuals, make for a demanding service schedule. However, the introduction of the Fleetguard filtration monitoring system, FleetguardFIT™, proved service intervals could safely be extended to 1500 hours for M/S Hendrika, a dry cargo vessel. This reduced engine maintenance costs by approximately half for ship owners, the de Boer family, based in the Netherlands. Prior to the FleetguardFIT installation, the de Boers serviced the engine oil and filters every 800 hours.
FleetguardFIT, which stands for Filtration Intelligence Technology, monitors filters and engine oil health in real time using smart sensing, state-of-the-art algorithms, cloud computing, and on-board diagnostics. Developed by Atmus Filtration Technologies, this system optimizes filter and oil life. Servicing only when needed saves time and money and avoids unnecessary downtime. In addition, the de Boers discovered that the increase in efficiency provided by FleetguardFIT reduced environmental impact which could help them win more business.
M/S Hendrika
| Vessel type | Dry cargo transportation |
|---|---|
| Length | 85 meter |
| Tonnage | 1438 ton |
| Built | 1981 |
| Operating hours | 10-12 hours, 6 days a week |
Engine
| Manufactured | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Type | Cummins KTA38M |
| Horsepower | 1000 HP |
| Displacement | 38 liter |
| Operating hours | 8-12 hours, 6 days a week |
M/S Hendrika is the first marine vessel in the Netherlands with FleetguardFIT. Installed on the 1,000 HP engine are two LED air filter restriction indicators, an oil quality sensor, and differential pressure sensors for the lubrication filter and the fuel water separator.
Following installation, the de Boers have been able to monitor oil and filters through the FleetguardFIT portal. The color-coded dashboard displays any actions required and the remaining useful life of all monitored consumables. For fleet owners, equipment status can be viewed per vessel, enabling them to track maintenance events and consumable performance over time. One notable aspect of the portal is its critical alert feature. M/S Hendrika avoided costly downtime thanks to a critical air filter alert from FleetguardFIT.
FleetguardFIT can also provide third parties, such as insurance companies, with proof that oil and filter changes have been carried out on time, critical alerts have been responded to promptly, and oil quality has always been correct during the engine’s operating hours.
Paul Louwe, senior technical support engineer for Atmus Filtration Technologies says, “The right filters on high horsepower engines can last two to even eight times longer than manufacturer’s recommendations. Furthermore, predictive maintenance based on real-world conditions can save thousands in unplanned downtime per vessel per year, which can be significant for a fleet owner.”
Although not part of a fleet of vessels, for M/S Hendrika, the benefits of the condition-based monitoring system are clear. As well as meeting the original goal of reducing maintenance costs by extending the life of the oil and filters, it has helped extend equipment life and maximize uptime, while lowering the environmental impact of the business.
FleetguardFIT is suitable for air, oil and fuel filters, and lube oil on diesel and natural gas engines and can be used on other types of non-classed inland-waterway vessels, such as passenger ships and carriers of other types of cargo.
For more information about FleetguardFIT, visit Fleetguard.com
Fleetguard, a brand of Atmus Filtration Technologies Inc., is a leading brand in advanced filtration solutions, offering a wide range of products such as fuel filters, lube filters, air filters, crankcase ventilation, hydraulic filters and coolants.
