MTNW and Applied Measurements install mooring winch controls

13 March 2012

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Two US companies have supplied equipment for jack up barges working in South East Asia.

The Measurement Technology NW (MTNW) collaborated with Applied Measurements to install and retrofit winch control systems for two jack-up barges: J P Bussell and the Gorilla II. The companies worked together on design, installation and commissioning of winch control systems for several Letourneau W-1500 anchor winches. The collaboration saw that the J P Bussell, a 225-C Tarzan class jack-up, and the Gorilla II, a 200-C Slotilever class jack-up, underwent controls and equipment retrofit in Singapore at the Keppel FELS shipyard before beginning operations in South East Asia. During the retrofit, Applied Measurements, a supplier of controls and monitoring equipment, contracted MTNW by to provide new PLC-based controls and a monitoring solution for the mooring winch systems. MTNW provides precision winch monitoring and control products. The retrofit involved mooring winch systems including running line tensiometers, a PLC control station with remote I/O, LCI-90i local displays, and a central computer system. The central computer system installed combined existing monitoring software with a new PLC interface. Applied Measurements also selected MTNW 3-sheave line riders to monitor the jack-ups’ anchor winches. The system provides accurate and real-time feedback on the actions of the operator and the position/tension of the mooring line by integrating the line riders with the mooring controls. Applied Measurements’ owner Graeme Cashen said, “Given the time constraints, MTNW’s cable line riders were a quick and easy way to monitor the existing winches. We chose line riders because load pins are more accurate than hydraulic pressure or electric current in terms of winch monitoring.” “Their PLC-based control consoles seamlessly integrated with the rest of the system. Every future offshore retrofit we’re involved in will have this kind of approach.” Tom Rezanka, managing director of MTNW, said, “We are pleased to support Applied Measurements and Rowan with this retrofit.” “Now that we offer PLC-based winch controls, software for data-logging and the line riders to monitor winch activity, we are providing a full end-to-end mooring solution for customers. “Since we design and build every aspect of these winch control solutions from the steel to the software, we can guarantee better accuracy and faster delivery,” said Rezanka. “We look forward to bringing new control and monitoring solutions to our customers in 2012.”