The Karmøy division of Westcon Power & Automation AS (WPA) has found new ways to build the best automation system in the shipping industry. It has now signed an agreement with the shipbuilding giant ST Marine in Singapore, which will be involved in the development of the e-SEAMatic automation system.
The interest from the shipyard in Asia came at a trade show in Singapore where the WPA presented the e-SEAMatic for stakeholders. It turned out that e-SEAMatic contained features which ST Marine did not already have in the systems they use. The yard has its own automation department, and wanted to discuss a possible cooperation between WPA and ST Marine.
Just before Easter, an agreement was signed where a joint further development of e-SEAMatic is the foundation, and where both parties have specific rights to the product when it is fully developed.
Manufactured in Norway – sent to Singapore
The further development is planned to last for 18 months.
“We want to make a demo rig in Norway. In the development of this there will be 3 – 4 people from our company, and the same number from ST Marine” , says development manager Torgeir Rasmussen WPA.
The goal for the engineers from ST Marine is to gain experience in the existing system and be part of the production and further development of e-SEAMatic.
The demo rig will be sent to Singapore when it is finished. There ST Marine is in the process of facilitating a large test room where they will be able to present the enhanced e-SEAMatic system to potential customers.
Common goal
Development manager Rasmussen believes this partnership will be very positive for the WPA.
“ This will give us a professional boost, and we will be able to deliver a product at a raised level. ST Marine has collected ideas for what is a good future-oriented system, and our common goal is obviously to get an even better system than those available today”.
For customers, an improved system essentially means three things. They will get a more automated system, they will get a secure system, and as a consequence of this they will have a system that requires fewer employees to operate and maintain. Which, in the long run, will mean lower costs for customers.
[mappress]
Source: Westcon, June 21, 2012