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Or: Why the Meyer Werft Likes to Take MTPs Along for the Ride.

July 2, 2020

Shipboard Automation Systems Skim Ahead of the Competition

The Meyer Werft [Meyer shipbuilding company] has charted a course for modular automation in order to effectively respond to increased time and cost pressures in shipbuilding. The company, based in Papenburg, is among the champions of the “Module Type Package“ (MTP), developed by WAGO. Using MTPs significantly increases the efficiency of a project, in particular when commissioning a ship. Considering the commissioning time frame is around three months, the Meyer shipbuilders are quite interested in using system modules, that have been previously tested and can be easily integrated into the ship’s automation.

Increased levels of technology lead to more comfort, entertainment, efficiency, and safety. A modern cruise ship currently generates around 120,000 signal points – and the number is rising. “The ship is a city unto itself – and is becoming technically more complex,” emphasizes Reinert Giere, development engineer in the innovation department at the Meyer Werft. The shipyard in Papenburg is the first port of call among international cruise ship builders – and Giere aims to keep it that way. He has worked at the Meyer shipyard for almost 30 years, and has headed both a technical department and a division. Giere uses his experience from demanding projects to inform his current position. His responsibilities include improving processes and launching new technologies. One example for this is a new strategy in automation. “I’m now looking precisely at those things that caused problems in projects over the last 20 years.”

Building Ships Faster with MTPs

Three years ago, the company provided him with the necessary space to improve processes and to seek industrial solutions outside of the maritime branch. He visited the WAGO booth at the Hannover Messe, and stumbled, quite by chance, on MTPs. Similar to a printer driver, module type packages enable system managers to link subsystems or process modules into a process control level without complex interface programming. This functionality brings the Meyer shipbuilders closer to their goal of building more ships in less time. “Our idea is to move commissioning forward. This can take place prior to delivery of the ship, at our suppliers, or even here – just at an earlier point in time, when the ship is only half built.” Reinert Giere is interested in spreading the commissioning over the ship construction period. Although it sounds easy, many challenges have arisen when attempting to put this into practice. Giere, who is member of the VDMA MTP task force, lists the large-scale systems as examples: the propulsion, electric drive systems, fresh water generators, LNG systems, waste incineration plants, are generally subjected to bench testing during conventional test routines at the manufacturer. Due to the ship construction process, the affected systems and their required performance specifications find their way on board as early as twelve months before the ship is delivered. Since these systems are often prototypes, the manufacturers often continue to work on the system functions during this time, so the technical status remains constantly in flux. This means that a simple firmware update or new sensors can cause real problems during commissioning. “These are trivial things; however, they constantly occur, particularly because we regularly use prototypes as a technological leader, and our partners naturally continue to work on them.” explains Giere. If, however, interfaces don’t function eight weeks before delivery, then the troubleshooting starts in earnest, despite the demand for high tech. “We’re talking about 1000 signals in one of the larger systems alone, that we have to physically check. Time is against us in case of errors; we can lose a week to additional work.”

MTPs Standardize Integration

Regardless of whether it concerns firmware updates or the integration of new components into an existing system: ff the sequence controllers distributed throughout the ship are equipped with a Module Type Package, then potential deviations within a machine module have no effect on the integration into the ship’s automation. The MTP includes – similar to a printer driver from the office IT – all information about the control of the process control technology points (PCT), including description instructions for the visualization or the scope available services. Stated more clearly: the MTPs provide the control system with an overview of the type of module, what it can do, what it looks like, and which parameters can be used with which data formats.

It should be obvious that the MTPs within the ship’s automation are completely independent of manufacturers. All noteworthy producers of automation systems and components are working on this topic. It merely requires a controller, which has an OPC-UA server interface and a standardized MTP for importing into the process control level (ship’s automation). The structure of the MTP is based on the 2658 Directive adopted jointly by NAMUR, ZVEI and VDMA, with the title, “Automation Engineering of Modular Systems in the Process Industry.” WAGO itself has begun work on the second generation of PFC200 and PFC200 XTR Controllers, and also Touch Panels 600 for modular automation. The Module Type Package is generated using the export function of the central engineering software. WAGO has also expanded the CODESYS range of functions with an add-on, and a library of functions for module programming.

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More Data at One Fell Swoop

“As shipbuilders, we know all of the systems on board our ships, and want to optimize the interplay,” according to Giere, “therefore, the importance of the signals and the informational content continues to rise. The large control systems function better if they have more data.” However, in order that data integration does not become a new bottleneck in commissioning, there has to be a certain cost-benefit mentality that considers at what point the additional costs of manually linking the data point make sense. Many companies flinch when faced with this expense. MTPs provide this for automation – which is why the question of manual connections no longer arises. All information that a module, or subsystem, would provide to the ship, is available to the ship’s automation in one fell swoop. “With the MTP interface, we no longer operate individual data points; instead, we standardize the complete module description: we bundle data, functions, control screens, and the like, and enable communication connections with standardized access via OPC UA,” summarizes Giere. In this way, substantially better possibilities open up, even later for the ship owners and also for the operators, to further optimize individual systems and maintain them.

Conclusion

In view of the advantages of the Module Type Package for shipbuilders, system integrators, and ship owners, the Meyer Werft is pursuing the long-term goal of firmly anchoring MTPs in future tenders. The entire maritime branch, down to the module manufacturers, can profit from the gains in time and efficiency.

Author:
Norman Südekum | WAGO Kontakttechnik GmbH & Co. KG

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