Media Releases

• Preventive maintenance of vessel propulsion systems prevents unscheduled downtimes
• Customized development of service packages and greater efficiency through retrofit measures
• Voith at the SMM 2018 in Hamburg at booth 203 in hall A4

Every service plan that Voith develops in collaboration with the customer is tailored precisely to the respective application. The VIT is a good example of the resulting benefits: RIM drives from market leader Voith are in use in a wide range of vessels, for example in an OSV like the Kroonborg, which supplies offshore platforms and wind farms in the rough waters of the North Sea, but also in luxurious super yachts that mostly operate in calm seas. Despite these very different requirements, operators of vessels expect their propulsion system to operate reliably at all times.

This is why Voith experts are in close contact with ship owners worldwide to develop customized concepts for maintenance and service. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Voith can draw on comprehensive expertise about the drive systems when developing these service packages. Its longstanding experience with the propulsion systems is above all important when providing recommendations for preventive maintenance. The proactive replacement of propulsion system components helps prevent unscheduled downtimes and additional costs.

Fast response cuts downtimes
Often, customers want detailed framework contracts with fixed response times or guaranteed spare parts prices for several years. This is the kind of agreement concluded between public utility Stadtwerke Konstanz and Voith. The utility operates the ferry service on Lake Constance between Constance and Meersburg. “To ensure operation on the high-traffic route, we guarantee that a malfunctioning VSP will be at our service department in Heidenheim within maximum one day,” says Dieter Baumgartl, Head of Sales Support Marine Division at Voith. If needed, the utility also has spare propellers that can be installed quickly.

Preventive maintenance for greater reliability
More than any other drive system, the VSP has proven effective for escorting ships. Through preventive maintenance as part of a scheduled overhaul, the Voith Service Team reduces the risk of a tug failure and therefore increases the safety of all shipping traffic.

During these overhauls, the propulsion systems are also upgraded technically to the state-of-the-art, for example by replacing a mechanical control system by an electronic version. Following these retrofit measures, the vessel propulsion systems, of which some are in service for decades, can be operated with optimum energy efficiency again, and are therefore ideally equipped for many more years of reliable service.

Comprehensive training courses and customized training
For some years now, there has been an increasing demand for Voith training to enable crews to carry out a number of emergency repairs themselves. As well as these emergency training options, Voith trains vessel captains in the special mode of operation of the VSPs and explains what they can do to ensure the reliable and efficient operation of the propeller. In a simulator, they are taught how to best handle difficult harbor entrances with the VSP.

Voith at the SMM 2018 in Hamburg
From September 4 to 7, at booth 203 in hall A4, you can experience which service solutions from Voith can make your vessel's operation even more efficient and economic. Be inspired by Voith's innovative maritime propulsion systems and revolutionary vessel designs that open up new dimensions in maritime transport.

About the company
Voith Turbo, a Group Division of Voith, is a specialist for intelligent drive solutions, systems and comprehensive services. Customers from highly diverse industries such as oil and gas, energy, rail and commercial vehicles, ship technology, mining and mechanical engineering rely on the advanced technologies and solutions-driven expertise of Voith Turbo.

Voith is a global technology group. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.