Wärtsilä extends PM solution to 2-strokes

Expert Insight is being extended to cover two-stroke engines and scrubbers, after the launch of 4-stroke coverage in November 2019.

The solution is available for Wärtsilä RT-flex type two-stroke diesel engines, but is also compatible with more recent WinGD two-stroke engine types, and covered diesel and LNG fuel types.

Patrik Strand, General Manager, Digital Product Management confirmed that the product was compatible with varying degrees of connectivity and older and more modern sensors. “We can supply data from 1Hz/second down to aggregated packets every ten minutes or hour,” Strand noted, adding that as the solution utilised existing sensors, the application of the solution to existing vessels was straightforward.

By applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and rule-based advanced diagnostics to data from sensors aboard the engine, the solution was expected to minimise unplanned maintenance, improving availability and reducing downtime.

Patrik Strand noted that the results from trial installations aboard vessels were promising. “We can say that we are catching smaller deviations earlier,” Strand noted, adding that detecting a greater percentage of issues than previously helped to prevent unexpected events.

“This new solution supports a collaborative relationship between our experts in Wärtsilä Expertise Centres and our customers,” Strand noted. The solution was intended to be a near real time solution – dependent upon service levels and the vessel’s connectivity – as well as providing early warning of scheduled maintenance requirements. This proactive collaborative approach is one of characteristics of Expert Insight, Strand added.

From a customer perspective, this enables a predictive maintenance strategy, whereby the health and efficiency of the equipment form the basis of maintenance activities. The solution is part of Wärtsilä’s Lifecycle Solutions offering, which is designed to go beyond mere maintenance and operation by delivering guaranteed performance based on mutually agreed target levels.

In addition to the launch of two-stroke engine solution, Wartsila has launched a scrubber solution, providing customers operating scrubbers with valuable compliance information, including automated non-compliance incident reporting, scrubber usage statistics, and a live compliance map. The predictive maintenance features for scrubbers will be released at a later stage.