Laser Technology News

Danish company Green Instruments has entered a major agreement with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding for the delivery of equipment that detects oil mist and vapor on ships and triggers an alarm before fires can develop and endanger the crew, ship, equipment, and environment.The shipyard now installs Green Instruments’ equipment on every new vessel built.Oil mist is formed by oil droplets floating in the air and can ignite at low temperatures. Green Instruments’ oil mist detector is designed to register the slightest traces of oil mist and vapor from hydraulic oils and bunker fuel…

Laser systems quickly remove corrosion and scale from metal surfaces with less preparation and mess than traditional techniques.In the maritime industry, corrosion and scale (where rust penetrates a metal surface) can quickly become an issue in an outdoor, salt sea spray laden environment. When sea spray evaporates, it leaves salt behind, leading to saltwater staining and accelerated corrosion.So, most shipbuilders as well as those responsible for maintenance and repair understand the value of treating metal surfaces to remove corrosion…

The Port of Rotterdam Authority signed individual Letters of Intent (LoI) with four enterprising new companies that are expected to help make the port more sustainable, more efficient and ‘smarter’.Agreed during the fourth edition of PortXL, an annual innovation programme in which start-ups receive intensive coaching from private-sector experts, the firms that will partner with Rotterdam include Richtlijn Geodesie, Flower Turbines, Ladar Ltd and Planys Tech.In addition, the Port Authority issued a so-called Letter of Support to Eco Wave Power.PortXL is a three-month accelerator programme in which fledgling firms receive intensive coaching from mentors and experts from the private sector.

The specialist in the design and manufacture of advanced subsea technology for the offshore energy industry, Subsea Technology & Rentals (STR), is delighted to announce the launch of its Australian Office and hosted its official office opening day in Perth, Western Australia.The solution provider for seafloor investigation and inspection to the offshore community said in a press release that it has invested in the region following the appointment of Jason French as Business Development Director – Asia Pacific and Steve Harris as Technical Operations Manager – Australia.Following these appointments, STR has seen an increase in customer enquiries and demand for subsea equipment in locally in the region…

NYK has signed a memorandum of understanding with Toyokoh Inc. to examine a joint business development utilizing Toyokoh’s "CoolLaser" technology in the maritime field.NYK aims to reduce the maintenance workload of crew on deck, in addition to dry-dock costs for repairs, and will discuss development of a business to provide a more efficient and environment-friendly maintenance method using Toyokoh’s epoch-making laser technology.Steel used on a ship’s deck is always susceptible to rust due to the harsh outdoor ocean environment that can lead to corrosion arising from severe salinity, temperatures, humidity, and ultraviolet rays, all exacerbated by scratches resulting from wear from cargo loading…

Kalmar has won an order for seven rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes following a call for tender launched by the Algerian port procurement company Groupement D'Interêt Commun Des Entreprises Portuaires (GICEP). The value of the order is approximately EUR 10 million. The order has been booked into Cargotec's 2016 fourth quarter order intake and the equipment will be delivered to the customer during the third quarter of 2017. The Port of Oran Container Terminal ("Port of Oran") is currently embarking on an ambitious expansion project and the Kalmar E-One2 RTGs will provide the terminal with reliable performance, reduced fuel consumption, and an industry-leading maintenance interval of 1,000 hours.

Following a successful laser cladding pilot project in 2015, Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME has signed a three-year cooperation agreement with VITO spin-off Laser Cladding Venture (LCV) to strengthen the cutter incisors used to dredge hard soils. Laser cladding is a coating technique in which a laser melts metal powders into objects. The wear-resistant and anticorrosive layers that are applied improve the durability of the mechanical parts. In a pilot phase…

Officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced the laser weapon system (LaWS) - a cutting-edge weapon that brings new capabilities to America's Sailors and Marines - was for the first time deployed and operated aboard a naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf. The operational demonstrations, which took place from September to November aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15), were historic not only because they showed a laser weapon working aboard a deployed U.S. Navy ship, but also because LaWS operated seamlessly with existing ship defense systems.

WR Systems (WR), the U.S.-based maritime technology company, is launching a new variant of its laser-based-emissions monitor at the SMM 2014 Fair in Hamburg. Called the Emsys-iS, the new system is designed specifically for scrubber applications and is targeted at both scrubber manufacturers and shipowners. Simon Brown, WR’s International Business Director, explained the reasons for the new product: “Our standard Emsys extractive unit was just too over-specified for the application. Scrubbers just need monitoring of SO2 and CO2, so all our other gases and PM features were not required.

Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) said it is actively strengthening partnership in key areas of enhancing maritime transport safety. In 2014, meetings of four sections of the RS Scientific and Technical Council (STC) were held. Scientific and educational centers, shipbuilding and shiprepair yards, shipping companies and other organizations of the maritime industry participated in the RS Scientific and Technical Council sections: St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping, St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University (SMTU), Krylov State Scientific Center, OAO Rosmorport, OAO Severnaya Verf, OAO Admiralteiskie Verfi, Nevsky Shipyard, Shipbuilding & Shiprepair Technology Center.

AVEVA said Burgasnefteproekt, an engineering company in the field of petrochemicals, has achieved significant cost savings using AVEVA Laser Modeler. Burgasnefteproekt recently acquired the AVEVA software and used it to capture the as-built asset and create a 3D model of an existing flaring system. This is part of a revamp project to rebuild the system and ensure up-to-date, accurate project documentation. Using 3D laser scanning technologies and processing the scan data using AVEVA Laser Modeler and AVEVA PDMS, Burgasnefteproekt achieved approximately 80% savings in design man-hours.

The U.S. Navy selects Northrop Grumman for the initial phase of the Solid State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) program. SSL-TM is a research and development project to mature solid-state, high-power laser weapon systems and components for ship defense. This selection is the first step in the development of a Prototype Laser Weapon System by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). This developmental effort will pave the way for a future Navy program that will integrate laser weapon systems on existing and future ships.

Advanced visualization technology complements Aveva’s solutions for plant Owner Operators. Aveva has  announced the acquisition of all assets relating to the advanced visualisation and simulation software of Global Majic Software, Inc. (GMS). This strategic acquisition includes all Intellectual Property Rights which will be used to support Aveva’s growing simulation offering for plant Owner Operators. The highly skilled GMS team will become a part of Aveva’s simulation development program to deliver world-class 3D interactive virtual environments to our customers. GMS’s industry-proven simulation products complement Aveva’s existing visualisation technology by providing an immersive environment that enables virtual access to plant facilities for the purposes of inspection…

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Nagasaki, Japan has ordered Emsys advanced laser emissions monitoring equipment from WR Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems) for two new-build vessels in construction for Carnival cruise line’s AIDA Cruise brand. The two 125,000-ton passenger vessels, which are the largest ever constructed for AIDA Cruises, feature many innovations that will set higher standards in vessel environmental performance. The Emsys continuous emissions monitoring system has a unique laser-based emissions sensor, allowing high accuracy measurement for up to 10 exhaust stacks.

AVEVA expands laser scanning software offering for brownfield project execution and asset operations. AVEVA announced the acquisition of Z+F UK Limited. The strategic acquisition includes only the division of Z+F which produces the LFM software suite. This follows a long and successful partnership with Z+F UK Limited and allows AVEVA to secure an industry leading software technology that significantly expands its offering in the 3D data capture market, while remaining fully independent from laser scanner hardware vendors.

Singapore Exchange Mainboard-listed Stratech Systems Limited (Stratech) announced that it has been awarded a S$1.16m contract by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore to design, implement and maintain the next-generation Shipmast Height Detection System (SHDS). The ability to provide vessel or shipmast height detection is crucial for waterways that require minimum height clearance. The new SHDS is designed to monitor in real-time the height of marine vessels passing through the waterway at Sentosa Island, which could pose a threat to the safety of Sentosa’s cable car operations. The system will detect and alarm MPA personnel upon any violation, thereby ensuring that MPA’s ship height regulations are adhered to.

The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (NSRP ASE) announced the selection of eight new Ship Production Panel Projects, totaling approximately $500,000. The Navy’s sponsors this program as a means to help reduce the cost in building and maintaining its fleet. Business Case Outline and Commodity Material Standardization Process: The intent of this project is to create a consistent, verifiable business case outline and process that can be applied to any specific situation that requires analyses for cost benefit and investment. Shipyards need a standard detailed business case outline and a repeatable process that can calculate the costs and benefits of making changes.

President Bush signed a defense spending bill that includes money for the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier construction in Newport News and advance funding aimed at speeding up submarine construction. The annual defense appropriations bill, which totals about $460b, includes about $2.8b for the Ford carrier, as Bush first requested in February. The Navy is hoping to build the ship for $8.1b, not counting the research and development costs for designing a new class of carrier. Outside experts warn the price is sure to rise. The $2.8b in the legislation, when combined with advance funding already allocated, would cover about 40 percent of the cost of the ship. The remaining 60 percent is due to be provided in next year's budget request.

Invensys Process Systems announced that its next-generation Foxboro custody transfer system (CTS) for LNG carriers has been certified by NKKK (Nippon Kaiji Kentei Kyokai) of Japan. The Foxboro Custody Transfer System Reference V for LNG carriers is based on a new non-contact pulsed laser technology that is designed to combine the accuracy of traditional capacitive-based systems with the lower total cost of ownership of non-intrusive radar-based level measurement systems. The system is also designed to provide the high accuracy measurements and data logging of levels, temperatures, and pressures required for the calculation of total LNG cargo loaded or discharged. The data is then converted to volumetric measurement.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology should be indistinguishable from magic" — Arthur C. As we are swept along in the surge of technology that pervades almost every aspect of our lives, we sometimes take for granted the innovations that intervene in our most complex interactions as well as our most mundane. The passenger shipping industry is no exception: from mooring systems to active stabilizers, Internet access and TV broadcasting ability; technology has 'infiltrated' every area. And these days, with virtually none of the processes undertaken by humans being completed without a technological interface of one form or another, technology has asserted itself as a sort of animated inanimate 'man's best friend'.