TOTAL LUBMARINE SETS SIGHTS ON LUBE DIGITALISATION

Mr. Dal Farra told The Motorship that Total Lubmarine was developing the platform in response to the ongoing process of digitalisation that was changing the landscape of marine lubricants. The effects of digitalisation would be at least as far-reaching as decarbonisation, Mr. Dal Farra noted.

The new platform is under development but is scheduled to be announced in “the second half of 2021”, Mr Dal Farra added.

The platform builds on Total Lubmarine’s existing onboard Tech’Care oil analysis service, which identifies among other data, total iron and base number (BN) levels within each cylinder in the engine.

The new service will provide actionable insights for fleet managers and onboard crew. The analysis of used oil can permit the identification of over-and under-lubrication, and offer feed-in rate recommendations.

Total Lubmarine did not specify how data from the service would be transmitted to the Cloud. It is recognised that Cloud-based technologies deliver reliable, scalable and optimised performance across company operations. Hand-held devices may form part of the solution, as “the business is looking at ways to ensure that element of the service is convenient and easy to use onboard.”

However, the scope of the solution is intended to be part of the data available to vessel operators through ship-to-shore exchange, Mr. Dal Farra added.

Eprocurement

Solutions under development are expected to integrate an online eprocurement function, which will allow customers to manage the order process all in one place, from enquiry to delivery.

By allowing fleet managers to monitor cylinder oil consumption aboard individual vessels, the solution is expected to ease the process of procuring lubricants, and optimise the delivery process.

The integration of eprocurement functionality through a unified ‘Lube-on-Time’ platform is expected to allow fleet managers to optimise the process of confirming product availability, ordering and obtaining delivery receipts.

“The procurement function will result in smooth deliveries,” Mr. Dal Farra noted, adding that the solution would help the management of inventory in different time zones.

Mr. Dal Farra noted that the system could be expanded to permit the analysis of data at different levels of granularity, and could allow the identification of outliers at a fleet and individual vessel basis.

This would allow customers’ fleet management offices to support engineers on board to optimise the performance of individual units aboard vessels.

The accumulation of significant volumes of data would also offer Total Lubmarine significant insights into the real-life performance of its products in a variety of different operating conditions. Total Lubmarine may eventually be able to offer improved insight into potential problems, such as the onset of cold corrosion.

Looking further afield, the exchange of live data with other systems may also create opportunities for the ‘holistic’ optimisation of other systems. The Motorship notes that a number of engine designers’ predictive maintenance tools are offering the opportunity to integrate cylinder lubricant data into the systems.