ClassNK releases new CBM guidelines

Condition-based Maintenance (CBM) strategies have been attracting ever more attention as the cost of data transfer falls, and the increasing sophistication of sensor technology enables more granular data to be captured. CBM solutions offer the possibility of improving the safety of operations, as well as the reduction of OPEX costs.

ClassNK amended its CBM rules in 2020 specifying requirements for incorporating modern CBM in surveys. ClassNK also published its CBM Guidelines (First Edition) in 2019, which clarify required documents and the approval procedure for substituting CBM in place of periodical overhaul inspection for class maintenance surveys.

With this in mind, ClassNK has produced a second edition of its ‘Guidelines for CBM’ which provides a reference for the selection of equipment and methods for CBM. The guidelines offer case studies providing comparisons between CBM surveys and conventional surveys, as well as a risk evaluation of CBM implementation from the perspective of cost efficiency. These case studies can be used as guidance for the introduction of CBM powered ship management.

The guidelines include a forward looking section assessing the outlook for CBM technologies.