This week I’m in Hamburg, at the largest European marine expo, SMM.
Many big engine manufacturers are exhibiting, but for me, there’s one striking thing missing on most stands, showing a consistent trend affecting all operators.
Previously, there’ve been lots of shiny new engines on show.
Not this time.
It seems like most manufacturers are using the expo to showcase different types of technology.
The Rolls Royce/MTU stand is a good example:
They have a semi-built demo engine showing some new developments; the latest SCR & the gas variant engine, but like the other main manufacturers, the future is focused on digital feedback.
MTU has a team of 70 looking at digital solutions, developing Go! Act & Go! Manage (more info here.)
To me, this indicates a new focus – getting more from what you already have; the ability to analyse & interpret as much data as possible for earlier problem detection & optimised engine performance.
Catching failures before they happen leads to predictive maintenance & improved reliability: Big benefits to operators.
It won’t be practical to apply this tech to some current engines, but there are different ways of getting engine performance info & interpreting it for better reliability & performance.
