Ems-Leda-Shipping GmbH&Co.KG: Digitalisation of the technical inspection of ships 

The company:

The Ems-Leda-Shipping GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2011. About 4-5 qualified employees take care of the management of up to 10-13 ships. These are multi-purpose vessels, dry cargo vessels, bulk carriers and container ships.

The objectives:

The aim of the implementation project is the development of a prototype application in the application scenario of technical inspection of ships. Based on the innovative technology of augmented reality, digital information should be made available to employees directly on site. In the context of the implementation project, further objectives are to inform employees about augmented reality (AR) technology, to qualify them in the use of the technology and to enable them to use the technology independently. On the basis of the newly acquired knowledge, the orientation towards data-driven business models is to be determined. Furthermore, previously used documents are to be digitalized and automated. The goal is a central computer-aided document in which all inspection steps can be digitally recorded. Picture

The benefit

The implementation project and the development of the prototypical application is expected to be completed:

• Time saving: Central system where all information is available in one place
• Active support of the employee: display of next inspection steps
• Mobile system: applicable everywhere
• Development of new data-driven business models

Furthermore, a prototype application was developed in the course of the inspection of the main engine of a ship. Specifically, this is the M43C drive engine as shown in (illustration 2) from the Caterpillar company. Caterpillar, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers of construction machinery worldwide. Its product portfolio also includes marine propulsion engines and gas turbines for various industrial sectors.

The developed application is a marker-based application, i.e. as soon as a previously defined marker is recognized (illustration 3), corresponding virtual information is displayed on site. The developed application offers the choice between a visual inspection and a selection of several alarm tests as shown in (illustration 4), which were previously selected with the company Ems-Leda-Shipping. Due to the limited time frame these are small selected test scenarios. The visual inspection and defined test scenarios are shown with step-by-step instructions.

For example, the functional test of an oil mist detector (illustration 5) was used as a test scenario. This is a component for protecting the drive system. It is used for monitoring the engine compartment, whereby the turbidity of the engine compartment atmosphere and the prevailing pressure are monitored. The inspection steps are supported by illustrations and additional information. A reference to the corresponding place in the user manual of the drive system is provided for each inspection step.

The HoloLens as a stand-alone computer system offers the advantage of a mobile system. This means that all information is available to the employee on site. In concrete terms, the work process using the HoloLens is divided into three areas.

1. Application with instructions
2. Pdf reader with access to user manuals
3. Documentation of the inspection using Excel

The main component represents the application explained above. It supports the employee actively in the form of instructions during the inspection process. The application can be paused and interrupted at any time. This allows access to the HoloLens user interface. This allows access to programs such as a pdf reader or the Excel spreadsheet program. If a problem occurs during the inspection or if the information in the step-by-step instructions is not sufficient, the application can be paused and a look into the user manual can be taken. Furthermore, the inspection steps can be documented using the designed Excel spreadsheet. It is possible to continue the designed application at any time. In addition, the application windows can be placed and scaled as desired. They can thus be individually adapted to the user's needs and placed in the user's field of view.

HS Bereederungs GmbH&Co.KG: "Digitalization of orders" 

The company:

The HS Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 2000 and currently employs more than 250 people all over the world. It takes care of the management of 35 ships. These are container and coastal motor vessels as well as multipurpose and bulk carriers.

Motivation and objectives:

The goal of the implementation project was to realize an interface between the ordering and accounting departments of the shipping company. By an immediate transfer of pending invoice amounts, directly after placing the order, a better planning in the accounting department should be enabled. A "just-in-time accounting" was thus the goal in the broadest sense. The driver of this process was the search for a possibility of a more precise budget planning. Furthermore, the implementation of such an interface allows a faster identification of hidden costs that may occur in the daily management of the fleet.

Result:

The result of the implemented interface is that the SQL database of the fleet management system is read at a defined interval (once a day during the night hours) and all outstanding (open) invoice amounts are added up. This totalled value is then imported into the accounting system and is available to the accountant as an open amount in the accounting system. This enables clearer budget planning. The result represents the first step towards "just-in-time accounting". To make even better use of the transferred data, the next step is to divide it into individual items, allocate the open items to the individual posting accounts (ships), and due dates for the open amounts.