By leveraging advanced monitoring tools, our Customer Saved $55,000 and Extended the Tugboat main Engine maintenance.
CHALLENGE
The main engines of a tugboat were nearing a top overhaul. The customer sought assurance of the engines’ condition before proceeding with the overhaul with the goal to extend this Overhaul.
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Our Approach and VIB 360 Diagnosis Results
Neptunus, the authorised distributor, during the Inspection, in addition to the traditional inspection techniques (such as borescope inspection, Analyse the LO sample and studying the Operational parameters in addition the visual Inspections ), deployed VIB 360 Smart Efficiency Monitoring and Analytics Tool as part of the Asset Reliability Management (ARM) programme. While the traditional techniques confirmed normal behaviour on both engines, the VIB360 system had an additional finding,
1. Starboard Engine: Found to be in good condition.
2. Port Engine: Detected signs of high mechanical stress on the crankshaft and increased friction at the bearings.
Investigation
Upon further investigation, the ship’s crew recalled a recent incident where the propeller blade was suspected to be damaged by a floating wooden log. An underwater inspection confirmed this damage, necessitating emergency docking for repairs. A repeat health check up, confirmed both engine status as good. As a result, premature damage to the bearings and crankshaft were averted.
The top overhaul (TOH) was then extended by 2000 hours twice thereafter on the basis of system results.
Impact of deploying Our Solution
The early fault detection system saved the ship owners over $55,000 by detecting the increase in bearing friction at the early stage.
The TOH interval was extended by over 30% beyond the OEM recommended hours.
By leveraging advanced monitoring tools, Neptunus was able to provide critical insights that led to immediate cost savings and an optimised maintenance programme to the customer.