OEMs Partner on Digital Machinery Management

Crews are becoming increasingly reliant on digital support as onboard systems become more complex and demands for emissions reduction more stringent. OEMs are choosing where they want to fit in the flow of sensor data coming out of ships and the provision of support and troubleshooting back in.

“Across sensors, IT/OT architecture, communications and cloud analytics, the baseline for digital monitoring has shifted from periodic data capture and alarm lists to always-on, higher-resolution visibility with faster diagnostics, safer remote access, and more scalable analytics,” says Teijo Hiito, Digital Product Manager - Wärtsilä Marine. “The net effect is that more assets can be monitored, earlier fault signatures can be detected, and insights can be turned into planned actions (maintenance, spares, operating changes) rather than reactive troubleshooting.”

When data is structured and integrated across systems, it supports a repeatable shift to proactive work scoping and scheduling - exactly the intent behind Wärtsilä’s Data-driven Maintenance Planning service, for example. “Designing in data access, secure connectivity and clear responsibilities from day one helps owners sustain performance and availability across the lifecycle, beyond the limits and timelines of warranty coverage.”

Wabtec Corporation, a company offering clean, efficient, and reliable medium speed Tier 4 diesel engines that power the marine, stationary, and datacenter industries, has partnered with ioCurrents to leverage its remote monitoring and diagnostic (RM&D) system on all new marine engines sales and installed-base retrofits world-wide. Peter Twichell, Director – Americas Commercial / Sales of Wabtec Corporation, says the RM&D system will provide its customers worldwide with visibility to an RM&D equipped engine’s performance, health, fuel consumption, and operating hours to support up-time and predictive maintenance. Cosmo King, CEO of ioCurrents, says the system features predictive analytics and an AI layer for automated anomaly detection. ioCurrents can monitor and analyze the data from all types of equipment on board ships, including engines and generators but also pumps, winches and cranes.

Caterpillar’s VisionLink is a cloud-based software application that provides actionable telematics data – location, operating hours, fuel consumption, and critical fault codes – from Caterpillar's centralized data repository (Helios) directly to operators. Will Watson, Product Manager – Caterpillar Marine, explains VisionLink enables operators to optimize maintenance and servicing by tracking fluid analysis and inspections, in addition to providing recommendations for preventative maintenance based on the equipment's actual utilization. And that data is accessible across desktop, tablet and mobile phone with customizable dashboards.

Caterpillar and Cat dealers rely on a deeper data set and more powerful suite of digital tools to deliver services to marine operators, such as fleet management and condition monitoring. Leveraging Caterpillar's Product Link devices, Caterpillar can monitor assets in real-time, apply advanced analysis on equipment health, perform remote troubleshooting and even remotely fix issues.

Bartosz Kowalinski, Manager Marine Automation at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, says the company is continuously developing and applying high-end sensors to gain deeper insights into equipment behavior and operating conditions.

The company integrates service directly into the digital loop. “Detecting a technical issue is only the beginning of the customer’s challenge. This is where our Customer Care Centre steps in. By combining digital monitoring with expert service support, we can help operators respond quickly and effectively, minimizing downtime and ensuring reliable vessel operation. “With one of our latest tools, mtu AccustIQ, we can monitor the acoustic behavior of equipment and, through dedicated AI features, detect component failures much earlier compared to conventional monitoring methods.”

Rolls-Royce also collects and analyzes data for the entire vessel, not just individual components. “Modern ships are highly integrated systems, and optimizing performance requires a holistic view that goes beyond our own scope of supply.”

Image courtesy Everllence

We want to go deep on the engine rather than navigational elements. Engines are our core competency,”

- says Gregory Puckett,
Group Chief Digital Officer at Everllence.

Everllence has taken the strategic decision to focus on engine analytics. “We know the engine better than anybody else in the world, and we want to go deep on the engine rather than navigational elements. Engines are our core competency,” says Gregory Puckett, Group Chief Digital Officer at Everllence.

The company is rolling out Everllence CEON Techbot - a large language model tool that taps into a vessel’s data to answer questions, but it also draws on data from Everllence’s thousands of connected assets to assess engine performance.

“We wanted our customers to have strong trust in Everllence CEON Techbot, so whatever it tells the customer always includes the source of the information, for example service letters,” says Puckett. “Now we're working on enabling the crew to submit pictures of components out at sea and have them analyzed for potential issues. AI is moving so quickly - and so are we. But we still maintain the personal connection where they can reach out to a real engineer.”

Beyond crew support, Everllence is partnering with class societies, including DNV, and suppliers to provide the data they need to reduce on-board survey inspections.

Rather than competing with existing monitoring or data acquisition systems, Accelleron’s approach is explicitly modular and integrative, enabling shipowners and operators to leverage their current investments while elevating their operational intelligence.

Accelleron solutions Tekomar XPERT and LOREKA360° rely on existing onboard instrumentation and third-party monitoring systems, avoiding additional hardware installations by default.

Accelleron does not manufacture or mandate specific sensor hardware. Instead, its digital solutions are designed to work with signals already available on board, regardless of sensor vendor or engine maker. This vendor-agnostic stance is deliberate, ensuring compatibility across mixed fleets and newbuilds as well as legacy tonnage.

Accelleron positions itself above the data acquisition and IoT platforms that collect, normalize and timestamp sensor signals, forming partnerships and integrations with established providers such as Kongsberg, Hoppe, Danelec, and Inmarsat-based systems, among others. These platforms act as data sources for the Accelleron’s Connect module, feeding operational data into Accelleron’s digital ecosystem. Connect also supports bi-directional data flows so advisory insights can be delivered shoreside or to crews via LOREKA360° applications: engine performance optimization via Tekomar XPERT Engine, turbocharger condition and verification via Turbo Insights, emissions compliance and advisory through Emissions Desk, Voyage and hull efficiency optimization through OptiNav AI and OptiHull.

In collaboration with Maersk, Anglo-Eastern and Everllence PrimeServ, Alfa Laval has explored how onboard networks can be extended into machinery spaces to enable real-time monitoring and remote support of critical equipment. The company’s first step in remote guidance is combining connected equipment with augmented reality to enable remote experts to collaborate visually with onboard crews.

Alfa Laval aims to expand remote services from reactive troubleshooting to proactive compliance support and performance monitoring. The next milestone starts with PureBallast, with a new Compliance Monitoring Package planned for launch soon.