Marine oil analysis just as important in the marine environment as on land
The marine industry plays a vital role in keeping industry, mining, agriculture and trade operating throughout Australasia as it transports bulk commodities and large shipments to and from islands large and small to the rest of the world.
Just as Techenomics serves the land transport needs of mining and industry with its oil and fluid analysis services that predict maintenance issues before they arise, it can also keep the marine industry on the move.
The company’s Australian operations are based at Newcastle, one of Australia’s busiest ports, its Indonesian operations are adjacent to busy ports at Batam, Balikpapan and Sangatta, its Singapore operations service South East Asia’s largest and busiest port, and there are also operations than can service busy ports in Thailand and East Africa.
Oil and lubricant analysis are just as important in marine situations as they are in land-based operations and Techenomics existing state-of-the-art operations are able to service this sector.
The specialised marine oil analysis provided by experienced staff in ISO-accredited laboratories can help keep ships, tankers, barges, boats and tugs on the move as well as the land-based mechanical equipment that loads, unloads and services the vessels.
Poor quality lubricants and the presence of wear metals and other unwanted materials in oils and lubricants can effect engine operations, thereby impacting on productivity.
Techenomics CEO Chris Adsett says the company’s fluid management, data provision and value-added services, such as WS2 caged nano particles, keep vessels operating more efficiently for longer.
“We are transitioning from an Industry 3.0 predictive maintenance provider to an Industry 4.0 proactive maintenance company through the adoption of state-of-the-art digital data capture, analysis and interpretation, and this will further help the marine industry.”
In addition, Techenomics also offers hot oil flushing for marine work and offshore installations.
This should be used during the commissioning of new vessels, as part of the vessel refurbishment process, cleaning of tankage and for cleaning of oil and fuel lines, and is particularly relevant in the busy port environments like Singapore.
Chris Adsett says the primary cause of operational issues for marine and offshore hydraulic systems, which leads to maintenance downtime, and even equipment failure, is the presence of contamination.
“It is common for particles of grime, welding slag, worn metal, gasket pieces, sand, sealant, etc., to be present. These can cause sudden failure or damage to pumps, motors, valves, bearings, actuators and pistons.
“Contamination in the piping system and oil medium can clog the gaps between the housing and spool valves, resulting in leaking valves and malfunction of the hydraulic system.
“It is vital that these systems are flushed prior to commissioning and during maintenance to ensure effective and efficient operation.”
Techenomics has experience in this area and uses a specially designed, purpose-built unit to flush contaminants from piping systems. Utilising high turbulence oil velocity circulation, contaminants are trapped in the filter with clean oil then pumped back into the piping system to flush out any remaining contaminant.
The process is repeated until the system reaches the required NAS or ISO cleanliness level. An inline particle counter controls the cleanliness of the oil flushing medium. This is capable of identifying real time cleanliness levels of the piping system throughout the process.
For more information about Techenomics contact: Chris Adsett, c.adsett@techenomics.com; or Sahar Nzari, nazari.iust@gmail.com; in Indonesia Teguh, teguh@techenomics.com; in Singapore Siti, siti@techenomics.com or in Mongolia Tumee, tumee@techenomics.com.