MacGREGOR new Onboard Care service programme combines live remote condition monitoring with planned maintenance, which ensures that shipboard cargo handling equipment is always available when needed

At SMM, MacGREGOR is introducing its new Onboard Care service programme, which ensures the availability of shipboard access and cargo care equipment wherever a ship happens to be. New diagnostics tools have made it practical to monitor equipment condition and send this information ashore for analysis and record-keeping. By combining equipment condition analysis with planned maintenance, MacGREGOR can now provide true 24/7/365 global support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year.

The idea is not new, but we had to wait for new technology to make it work, says Hans Pettersson, president of the MacGREGOR Group. In 1997 we defined service as: the ability to give our partner-shipowners the freedom to concentrate on pursuing their core business and maximising profitable operations, knowing that their fleet key revenue-enhancing systems are receiving attention from a specialist.

The message is the same today, but we now have the technology and communication media that enable us to offer real-time condition monitoring of our products wherever they are. This is backed up by our ability to provide routine and preventative maintenance services worldwide. Our new Onboard Care programme establishes a new standard in after-sales support capability. We plan to do what we do best, and allow shipowners to concentrate on their core business.

By combining resources in an appropriately tailored package, customer and supplier can both reap the benefits of lower costs and around-the-clock equipment availability, says Mario Greiner, vice president responsible for marketing and business development. Profitability for owners, operators and MacGREGOR can be maximised by concentrating service and maintenance activities in one harmonised process.

MacGREGOR alone cannot effect realisation of this latest development. It requires a joint undertaking by the customer and MacGREGOR to harmonise their individual service processes, thereby eliminating duplication of effort and resources, and ultimately offering cost savings to the customer. Onboard Care maximises the equipment lifetime profitability demanded by the market. It also adds to the retail value of the equipment and the ship itself.

Choice of service level

Shipowners and operators can choose from four Onboard Care packages to suit the level of security and comfort they need. Each level can be tailored to specific circumstances by a range of options.

Total Onboard Care package: MacGREGOR takes full responsibility for maintenance, providing predictable operating costs and complete peace of mind

Special Onboard Care: for operators preferring to depend on MacGREGOR as a maintenance specialist

Enhanced Onboard Care: for companies that handle their own equipment maintenance, but require crew training and periodic services provided by a specialist

Basic Onboard Care: for companies that handle their own regular maintenance but want to avoid unforeseen equipment failure.

MacGREGOR has been running pilot projects since 2002 that have established the effectiveness of remotely monitoring shipboard equipment from anywhere in the world. Information about the condition of hatch covers and cranes on board three general cargo ships has been transmitted ashore, and analysed. On Gearbulk 47,800 dwt three-year-old Cedar Arrow, MacGREGOR has been monitoring the hatch covers, and on B&N Nordsj¶frakt 16,700 dwt Nordon the ship three K cranes too. Similarly the three GL cranes on board Rickmers Reederei 23,000 dwt CMA/CGM Licorne have been transmitting real-time diagnostic data to MacGREGOR service teams.

A passenger ship project is also about to start. Two existing passenger ship equipment management systems are ideally suited for remote condition monitoring: MacGREGOR computerised Cool Control system manages provisions stores temperatures, air cooler defrosting sequences, chillers and plant room supervision, alarms and control. Similarly KONE E-Link* elevator management system can already provide features such as traffic analysis and on-screen maintenance support.

Global service network
MacGREGOR goal has always been to maximise availability of its shipboard equipment by providing worldwide product support through its service network. Today this network comprises more than 50 service stations offering 24-hour service around the world. Our global service network is highly effective in fixing problems when they do occur, but this is often in response to failures once these have been reported, said Wolfgang St¶ven, general manager of the Service division. Today this is no longer acceptable. Combining planned maintenance with equipment condition monitoring makes it possible for MacGREGOR to anticipate potential failures and prevent them.

A valuable part of Total Onboard Care packages is the creation of service records that are filed and continuously updated. Globally accessible by its service engineers, MacGREGOR Fleet Management Tool database stores equipment data, maintenance protocols and service reports, providing a base for planned preventive maintenance for each ship by linking maintenance tasks to equipment running time and service time.

Up-dated equipment service records in MacGREGOR Fleet Management Tool provide a reliable database that can be used by regulatory bodies and insurance companies in equipment certification and insurance premium assessments to the extent that yet remains to be fully explored. MacGREGOR is also authorised to carry out inspections on behalf of IACS classification societies.

We recognise that the upside for the owner/operator has to be tangible before we can claim success, Hans Pettersson says. And we can only provide this by providing a seamless service designing equipment, supplying it, and making sure it is always available. The MacGREGOR name is synonymous with innovative designs in cargo handling and cargo care equipment. With Onboard Care, we are introducing innovative service.

* E-Link is a trademark of KONE Corporation, and is being used by the MacGREGOR Group under licence from KONE

For further information, please contact:

Mr Mario Greiner, Vice President Marketing and Business Development,

MacGREGOR Group, P.O. Box 4114, SE-400 40, Gothenburg, Sweden

Tel: +46 31 850 741 Fax: +46 31 850 901

e-mail: mario.greiner@macgregor-group.com