In collaboration with engineering firm AMOG Consulting, remote monitoring specialist Omniflex has developed WharfWise. This is a holistic structural monitoring system that, for the first time, provides wharf operators and asset managers with real-time oversight of mooring operations and structural integrity. WharfWise can be used to monitor everything from movement of dolphins, to impacts on the fenders and tension in the mooring lines.
Driven by industry-wide carbon reduction strategies, cargo ships are becoming larger because a single ship carrying much more cargo than multiple smaller ones both lowers carbon emissions per ton, and also shipping costs per ton. However, port infrastructure designed decades ago was not built with these larger ships in mind, meaning stresses and strains on the infrastructure are much greater than anticipated.
Furthermore, as there is increasing pressure on port operations to maximise existing infrastructure, port infrastructure is occasionally operated beyond its capacity or asset life. This can impact asset performance as errors in operation or adverse weather conditions can cause additional and unexpected movement in berthed ships, which can then excessively load mooring lines and cause impacts on berth infrastructure.
Liam Hewitt, principal engineer at AMOG said, “There is almost no existing real-time feedback loop about whether operating with larger ships, often in adverse weather windows, fits the wider asset management strategy. WharfWise can correlate a wide range of data to within a millisecond, so cause and effect can be determined. For example, if a ship collides with a fender and causes a wharf pile to move excessively as a result, it can easily map the chain of events to provide immediate insights to operational and engineering personnel.”
The traditional approach to port asset management has seen operators rely on visual inspections, often on an annual basis, to identify damage and conduct patch repairs. However, in the case of concrete structures, by the time the damage is visually identifiable with cracks in the structure, it is likely approaching the end of its service life, and the maintenance cost drastically increases.
David Celine, managing director at Omniflex, explained, “WharfWise helps detect stress that could lead to damage and proactively maintain the asset by managing the main loads into the berth and the berth’s response. For example, too much movement is indicative of deeper structural issues.
“WharfWise also allows real-time adjustments of mooring lines to respond to unexpected ship movement caused by weather conditions or changing tides. This helps maintain even load distribution across all lines at all times and minimises damage. It also has safety benefits, as a snapped mooring line can result in a serious incident that endangers port personnel.”
As WharfWise provides port asset managers with detailed, time-stamped data on port infrastructure performance, it can also help them recoup capital costs for damage from ship operators. This was previously much harder to do as it was difficult to identify the exact events responsible for any damages.
Steinmüller Africa’s drone technology
Industrial Wireless
Steinmüller Africa’s intelligent engineering services has expanded with the addition of the Elios 3 caged inspection drone to its fleet, enhancing inspection capabilities and reducing costs for power stations by reducing the need for human inspection services.
Read more...Upgrading Australia’s first switch-mode CP installation Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Industrial Wireless
Omniflex has completed a system upgrade for the switch-mode cathodic protection system installation protecting a premium residential precinct in Melbourne, upgrading its remote monitoring with 4G connectivity
Read more...Advanced telemetry solutions
Editor's Choice Industrial Wireless
Namibia is one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with an average annual rainfall below 250 mm. To address this challenge, the Namibia Water Corporation has employed one of southern Africa’s most powerful and well-proven telemetry solutions, designed and manufactured by SSE/Interlynx-SA.
Read more...Novel closed-loop CP technology wins innovation award Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Industrial Wireless
Researchers at Deakin University have won the Corrosion Innovation of the Year Award at this year’s AMPP Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville, USA. The award recognised the development of a novel closed-loop cathodic protection system for localised corrosion control in challenging industrial environments, which Omniflex helped with as a technology partner.
Read more...Food safety vs production: striking a balance in food and beverage manufacturing TransLution Software
Industrial Wireless
In the world of food and beverage (F&B) manufacturing, the ongoing struggle between food safety and production is a familiar scene. This conflict can escalate into a fierce struggle, but with the right systems in place, food safety and production can achieve their goals harmoniously, leading to a more successful F&B manufacturing operation.
Read more...Improved networking technology for fire and gas detection Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Critical alarm and event management technology supplier, Omniflex has worked with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation to upgrade equipment providing digital and analogue signals for its safety critical fire and gas alarm systems.
Read more...Barcode evolution: The smart choice for modern tracking and compliance Part 2 TransLution Software
Industrial Wireless
RFID technology represents an exciting frontier in inventory tracking with its ability to eliminate the need for line-of-sight scanning. By using radio waves to transmit data wirelessly, RFID systems offer the tantalising possibility of simultaneous scanning of multiple items and real-time inventory visibility.
Read more...Barcode evolution: The smart choice for modern tracking and compliance Part 1
Industrial Wireless
Imagine a world without barcodes, where every item in a warehouse is manually recorded, checkout lines stretch endlessly, and supply chain tracking relies on handwritten logs. It sounds like a logistical nightmare, yet this is how businesses conducted business historically. Today, barcodes are so deeply embedded in modern operations that their impact often goes unnoticed.
Read more...Novel closed-loop CP technology for corrosion control Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Industrial Wireless
Cathodic protection specialist, Omniflex has collaborated with researchers at Deakin University to develop corrosion monitoring electronics for a novel closed-loop cathodic protection system for localised corrosion control in challenging industrial environments.
Read more...How industrial network design impacts ESG commitments Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
In safety-critical industries like nuclear, petrochemical and oil and gas, installing a new industrial cable network is an extremely complicated task. Gary Bradshaw, a director of industrial network specialist, Omniflex explains why this is often unnecessary as plants are likely to have existing cabling capable of being used to create new industrial networks.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version