Products & services

MacGregor wins North Star order from Royal Caribbean

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 05 July 2013 05 July 2013

MacGregor has won the contract to deliver North Star, an engineering marvel that takes guests to new heights with a jewel-shaped, glass capsule, transporting them on a spectacular journey more than 91 m (300 feet) above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to deliver awe-inspiring 360-degree views for Royal Caribbean International's first Quantum Class cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, the company said in a statement.

The crane's slewing function will also allow the viewing gondola to be swung out over the sea for a unique guest experience. The order was booked in the second quarter 2013 order intake.

Quantum class will debut in fall 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015. Quantum ships span 16 decks, encompass 167,800 gross registered tons, carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms. Quantum of the Seas will sail out of the New York Harbor from her homeport of Cape Liberty on 7- to 12-night itineraries during the winter 2014/15 season. The ship is under construction at German shipyard, Meyer Werft and is scheduled to make its debut crossing from Southampton to New York in autumn 2014.

The electro/hydraulically-driven crane will have an outreach of 41m, and the 7.1-tonne viewing gondola will be able to accommodate 14 guests and one crew member. The gondola will be fitted with a stabilising system to ensure that it remains level with respect to the vessel's deck. It will also damp gondola movements, providing a comfortable ride for the guests.

"We are the first crane supplier involved in anything like this type for a cruise ship," says Jonas Hägglund, MacGregor Sales Manager. "Safety is paramount, and the operator needed a crane supplier that would not only deliver the highest safety standards, but also proven, reliable technology for the North Star guest experience."

The system is designed for 100 percent redundancy with two separate power units, each large enough to drive the crane in reduced speed mode; it will also be provided with a diesel-driven emergency power pack. Additional safety features include automatic cut outs and safety valve overload protection on all crane motions. The crane is designed to standards set by German technical certification company, TÜV süd.

North Star will be controlled using a separate PLC safety system in addition to a MacGregor CC3000 crane control system. "The CC3000 provides excellent load control and can easily be adjusted with a laptop computer for different parameters, such as speed ramp times," says Mr Hägglund. "All crane movements will be smooth and immediate, with stepless speed control, essential for this type of guest experience. It is also important that the experience is as quiet as possible, so the main power pack will be rubber-suspended to minimise vibrations and noise transmission; the crane housing will also be isolated to minimise noise.

Caterpillar ships first MaK dual fuel engine to MHI to power AIDA newbuild

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 03 July 2013 03 July 2013

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems is pleased to announce the shipment of the first MaK M 46 DF dual fuel marine engine. The M 46 DF, Caterpillar’s first marine dual fuel solution, will power a newbuild ordered by Germany’s AIDA cruises. Three 12 M 43 C marine engines will also power the cruise liner. The engine left the MaK Rostock, Germany facility en route to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Upon arrival, it will immediately be placed in the ship’s hull.

"We’re pleased to deliver our first dual fuel marine product to AIDA cruise lines, a longtime collaborator and partner," said Detlef Kirste, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems Senior Product Definition Engineer. "The M 46 DF will provide AIDA with superior performance and operational flexibility without sacrificing power or reliability."

Able to alternate from gas to diesel mode during operation, the M 46 DF offers the flexibility to operate vessels reliably in all geographical areas, whether the fuel in use is gas, marine diesel oil (MDO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO). In gas mode, the M 46 DF features industry-leading fuel consumption and will comply with IMO III as well as EPA Tier 4 regulations. The engine has been designed to allow retrofitting of current M 43 C engines.

With a bore of 460 millimeters and stroke of 610, the engine was designed for electric drive propulsion systems as well as mechanical propulsion systems. Although designed for unlimited operation on LNG, marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, the M 46 DF will reach industry- leading efficiency in gas mode.

Caterpillar offers its renowned service and support for the MaK dual fuel engine, including installation and application, system integration support, as well as customer and crew training. The M 46 DF is distributed and sold through Caterpillar’s MaK dealer network.

Wightlink Ferries to introduce CarRes reservation and ticketing system

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 25 June 2013 25 June 2013

Wightlink Ferries has announced it will be introducing the market-leading CarRes reservation and ticketing system.

The decision to replace the existing system was made in order to improve reliability as well as to enable the company to offer an improved booking service to customers. This investment is the latest development in a five year capital programme which has seen Wightlink investing over £50m in new ships and improved facilities at each of its ports which, along with this investment, will help the Company achieve its mission which is simply ‘to be the Preferred Choice of Operator for cross-Solent Travel’ and help position the Company firmly as ‘Part of Island Life’.

IT Director Stuart James said “This decision represents a significant investment by Wightlink and illustrates our determination to provide a reliable and customer-focused service, which is adaptable to our customers’ changing needs into the future. Despite stiff competition from other suppliers, the CarRes system was a clear choice, and I am confident that our customers and staff will find it meets their needs both today and into the future.”

In addition to the core CarRes booking and ticketing functionality, the project will provide the opportunity to deploy the latest online booking technology (including a mobile optimized site in the future), the web based Business Intelligence module and the Carus port automation framework which will initially support the handheld embarkation scanners.

Carus CEO Anders Rundberg, said “We are delighted to welcome Wightlink Ferries to the growing number of companies around the world who are using CarRes. We will be working closely with the Project Team to deliver a seamless transition.”

CarRes will be hosted within the Carus data centre in Mariehamn, Finland and will be implemented during the coming months with an anticipated project completion by the end of 2013.

Lufthansa Systems to provide IT network on AIDA newbuildings

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 01 July 2013 01 July 2013

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) entrusted Lufthansa Systems to provide the IT infrastructure onboard of two new AIDA ships, which are currently build by MHI at Nagasaki Shipyards in Japan. The two new ships for AIDA Cruises with a capacity for around 3,300 passengers will set new standards with regard to product content and passenger comfort. Lufthansa Systems has been selected to supply the infrastructure for LAN and Wi-Fi onboard and the platform for the ship's telephony system (VoIP). The delivery of the first AIDA ship is expected in spring 2015 while the second ship is expected to be completed in spring 2016.

"We are excited that AIDA and MHI decided to engage us with the provision of the IT infrastructure and we are proud to extend our long-term partnership with AIDA," said Bernd Appel, SVP Industry Solutions at Lufthansa Systems "With our solution these ships will have the latest technology in the field of convergence services for cruise lines on board. At low cost of ownership AIDA will be able to offer passengers of these ships a rich choice of infotainment and communication", he added.

Already with the last seven AIDA cruise ships, Lufthansa Systems proofed its ability to integrate complex and customized IT solutions that match perfectly with its infrastructure solutions. AIDA ships are known for their rather youthful style and their many modern onboard amenities and facilities. Therefore, it seems almost indispensable to supply the ships with the latest IT technology and to cater for the needs of their young and Internet affine customers.

MHI was founded in 1884 and has a long history in engineering, manufacture and sale of ships. It is known for the quality of its products. In Japan, MHI owns five yards where they build several ship types.

MEIKO appoints new head of export sales and marketing

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 18 June 2013 18 June 2013

Klaus Engesser has been appointed as MEIKO's new head of export sales and marketing for dishwashing technology. This appointment marks an important step forward for the Offenburg, Germany-based manufacturer of commercial dishwashers and cleaning and disinfection appliances, which is determined to continue enhancing the quality of its export business team, as MEIKO Managing Director Burkhard Randel explains: "Klaus Engesser will be a great asset to our team and we're delighted to have him on board. As well as his previous managerial experience running subsidiaries and sales companies in the export department of a major company, he has also spent several years building up an extensive knowledge of the commercial kitchen appliances sector."

Founded 86 years ago, MEIKO has annual sales of 260 million euros, over 50 percent of which are generated by exports to more than 60 countries. The long-established company is now pursuing a forward-looking strategy focusing on the strategic internationalisation of its business fields and organic growth.

"MEIKO is a dynamic, global brand and a company that values innovation, so it's a great opportunity for me to apply my skills," says Engesser. MEIKO currently has ten affiliated companies in Germany, six in the rest of Europe and four outside Europe, as well as two production facilities in the USA and China. Engesser anticipates that his new role at the company will be "an exciting challenge". In a statement, he also explained that MEIKO's high quality standards and outstanding innovation capabilities are key drivers for successfully marketing the German-made machines worldwide and giving the company's "clean solutions" a prominent presence in the commercial dishwashing arena.

He noted that he has always perceived MEIKO from the outside as a brand that represents innovation, reliability and customer focus and emphasised that he is looking forward to playing an active role in further enhancing MEIKO's position on the world stage.

Engesser considers that one of his key tasks will be to continue expanding the company's sales activities in existing markets while building up its own distribution structures. He also intends to focus on opening up new sales markets and exploiting their full potential. "We're already in a great position thanks to MEIKO's outstanding product portfolio and high quality standards. My goal is to grow the company in all its different product areas. The key is not just to acquire new customers, but also to turn them into active promoters of our brand," Engesser explains.

He ranks networking as one of his most important tools – which suggests that MEIKO may have found the perfect messenger for the MEIKO brand.

The 42-year-old manager studied business administration at Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences before continuing his studies College of Design, Technology and Business at the Luis Vives University of Madrid. Before joining MEIKO, Engesser worked as a market director at the metalworking company Roto Frank AG (annual turnover: 655 million euros) where he was responsible for exports to various different countries and sales companies. He will be drawing on these many years of managerial experience in sales and marketing in his new position at MEIKO. He also spent three years as a regional sales manager at Blanco, a period during which he gained key insights into the commercial kitchen appliances sector. Klaus Engesser is married and has two children.