In-depth | ONBOARD ELECTRONICS


Flexible building blocks to integrated solutions


Imtech Marine intends to shake up the process by which shipowners and shipyards choose integrated systems for newbuildings, starting with the offshore supply vessel sector, via its new Multiflex modular concept.


F


or many years now, the accepted modus operandi for ordering electrical and electronic systems for


newbuilds has tended to involve leaving the shipyards to select the most suitable systems to meet each operator’s requirements and budgetary considerations. It is a process that, on paper, saves the operator time but, in practice, arguably stunts his or her range of options, a fact that may not become fully evident until the vessel is fully equipped and ready to sail. While integrated systems do boast their advantages,


there are drawbacks.


For instance, a number of ship and boat operators have bemoaned the fact that once a particular system brand or model has been installed onboard, it oſten proves difficult or impossible to ‘mix and match’ individual components and items of equipment. Some owners wishing to utilise radars built by a specific company, for example, have found that their target products have been incompatible with other pre-installed systems, commonly due to irreconcilable differences in physical


size or bus


connection. As a result, these items cannot be incorporated into the onboard set-up, short of tearing out the original systems and starting afresh. Similarly, there may be a number of


electronic system functions that do not suit the vessel’s operational agenda but have, all the same, been paid for and remain unused.


Customer control Systems solutions provider Imtech Marine is now looking to open up the range of options for owners and operators with the launch of its modular Multiflex concept. Initially aimed at the offshore support vessel (OSV) segment, which Imtech Marine highlights as a major growth area, Multiflex is intended to create a ‘one-stop shop’ for shipowners and provide a direct communications channel with equipment manufacturers and


Ship & Boat International July/August 2011


shipbuilders, when planning new projects. “We want vessel owners to be able to


mix and match and integrate components to create an integrated system of their own choice, taking in equipment and solutions from different manufacturers,” Eric van der Adel, Imtech Marine managing director, tells Ship & Boat International. “Basically, owners can sit down with Imtech to choose their designs and work out the optimal, custom- made solution for their requirements. Te owners we’ve spoken to so far have found the concept very interesting - they can say what they’d like to have integrated into the system, and what they don’t require; whether to use a different manufacturer for the dynamic positioning [DP] module than for the rest of the system, and so on.” Aſter the owners have submitted their


specifications, Imtech Marine takes on the responsibility for coordinating the delivery and interfacing of the specific systems, in accordance with each owner’s specifications, into one functioning whole.


Range of modules Working in tandem with the shipyards


and OSV builders, the group claims that it will ensure that the owners’ specifications are met to the letter. “OSV designs are becoming increasingly complex, and are reliant on integrated systems more than ever before,” says van der Adel. “Currently, many of the European yards are handling the steelwork of the vessels, with the rest of the installations being the remit of suppliers, who may not have this knowledge regarding exactly what the customer requires. “An important part of the Multiflex


pre-engineering role is also making sure that the various components can actually be integrated with one another as, with many standardised systems, introducing different components is not always guaranteed to work.” Multiflex can be viewed as a shopping


list of technical modules, from which ship- and boatowners pick and choose their necessary solutions. Tese modules include options for the following areas: Diesel-Electric Propulsion, for those customers attempting to slash their emissions and realise savings on fuel costs; Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), in order to pick a solution that ensures the welfare of the crew while reducing the weight of the HVAC equipment onboard and the amount of energy this equipment drains; Automation, for the monitoring and control of engines, generators, pumps, refrigeration and hydraulic systems; NavCom, for e-navigation, ship-to- shore communications, crew calling and satellite communications-/internet- enabled operations; DP, for automatic maintenance of the ship’s position; Power Distribution, which enables tailor- made solutions to cover reliability of the onboard electrical system, across a range of low or medium voltage switchboards; and,


Fighting and Safety Systems, which covers the integration of various onboard alarm systems. “Te customer can opt for one of these modules, a handful, or all seven within the Multiflex range,” van der Adel adds. In addition to helping OSV operators


to get the systems they want installed, by providing the Multiflex concept for shipowners and shipyards at the earliest design stages of each newbuilding project, Imtech Marine states that it is offering round-the-clock maintenance and service support for all of the modules, throughout the ship’s life cycle, via its international service network, covering 23 countries. During this year’s Nor-Shipping event in


Oslo, hosted in June, van der Adel confirmed that bidding has already commenced for several projects involving Multiflex. SBI


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lastly, Fire Protection & Fire


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