Uptime, reliability and smooth maintenance have always been key to successful port operations, but now more so than ever before. So, what role does connectivity play in strengthening the global shipping industry? How can connected engines help ensure the uptime and profitability of shipping companies’ port operations?
Each of the companies operating these port terminals are long-time customers of Volvo Penta. They have all followed our work with connectivity and connected engines with interest. As such, they were enthusiastic about using connected engines for their applications when given the opportunity a few years ago. Volvo Penta worked closely with our local dealer Nautic Motor Valencia to ensure that it could provide the service these clients required.
Connected engines collect data on how they are used and how they function. This means that anomalies and errors can be detected very early, which in turn can help prevent more serious problems, malfunctions and downtime. In this case, Volvo Penta's Uptime Center is able to monitor the connected Volvo Penta engines remotely, and use diagnostics to detect faults, risks, and low fluid levels, for example. In the event of an engine issue, a notification is sent to the dealer who can then inform the customer of the issue and how best to handle it. The customer's maintenance personnel can then locate the engine in question and resolve the issue.
This allows for quick, exact and efficient maintenance, which results in more uptime for the engine and greater operational reliability overall. Moreover, costlier maintenance can be prevented and the total cost of ownership (TCO) can be kept down. The dealer can proactively inform and advise the customer, as opposed to the customer having to consult the dealer once a problem or malfunction has already occurred.
One concrete example of this involved an 8-liter engine installed in a terminal tractor. The engine’s coolant level was too low, and so a notification was sent to the dealer. This was a critical issue, so the customer had to be informed right away. The customer’s fleet manager was then able to send a maintenance team to the terminal tractor, which had it up and running again in just 15 minutes.
Want to know more about Volvo Penta’s work with connectivity, and how it can benefit your business? Send me an email at fernando.sirgo@volvo.com. Make sure to also read my colleagues’ articles on connectivity, as well as other blog articles on Volvo Penta’s work with the mining industry, quarrying, forestry, and more.