Siemens deploys drives service in a box

By customising a standard sea freight container equipping it for repair and maintenance work, and shipping it to customers’ vessels, the company claims that it can improve access and reduce risk during service. The container holds standard tools and lifting gear as well as air conditioning and heating devices and a special lighting system to allow work to be carried out in any situation. Special tools are available to check all electrical and mechanical components related to the Siemens drives, including inverters, energy distribution systems, automation systems and controls.

The concept has already been deployed for the inspection of a ferry belonging to an undisclosed company during docking. Working in a two team, two shift operation, Siemens’ engineers were able to overhaul or exchange worn parts of the Siship eSipod drives and check all electrical and mechanical components – saving two days on similar work carried out previously by Siemens on a sister vessel.

Siemens now plans to deploy another service container to serve as a mobile ship service workshop in the Pacific region, from where it can be rapidly transported to shipyards throughout Asia and Australia for both scheduled maintenance and damage repair.

Ernst-Christoph Krackhardt, head of customer service at Siemens Marine, said: “Over the last three years, we have identified improvement potential when working on maintenance assignments, for instance with respect to the shipyard’s own tools, logistics and our team’s competences. We developed these and other aspects, bringing them together to form a novel logistics concept.”

Siemens will be presenting the service container in the open air area in front of Hall B6 at this year’s SMM in Hamburg, from September 6-9.