Pon Power News

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FACTS & FIGURES

PHASING

EMSOLUTIONS

PRODUCT LINK

Cat Product Link as a system has been around for some time but is now also available for power systems. System roll-out takes place in stages in the various markets, currently Maritime and Electrical Power.

Equipment Management Solutions: brings you technologies and services that help you manage your equipment, get more value from every machine and makes preventative maintenance planning easier.

System for remote-monitoring of engines and generators enabling fast problem solving and efficient preventative maintenance planning.

FACTS & FIGURES

Joost Schapendonk

Manager Technical Support, Pon Power

“Product Link enables us to add value to customers’ operations based on the data transmitted from their engines.”

EMSOLUTIONS

Caterpillar and Pon Power both view remote-monitoring as an important development, and Caterpillar has even set up a special division for the purpose: Equipment Management Solutions (EMSolutions). This division is focused on the totality of technologies and services designed for remote engine monitoring. Product Link is a tangible product to be rolled out in the Netherlands in a Pon Power pilot project. At this time it is available as a retrofit system only, however, Product Link will be a standard feature on every new engine in the foreseeable future.

FIRST TEST SYSTEM

Pon Power are currently rigging up a first test system with Multraship Towage & Salvage of Terneuzen. In Antwerp, a tugboat of this company is being fitted with the system. Rob Gouka, Technical Manager at Multraship explains: “In this pilot we’ll be monitoring specifically the fuel economy of the two 3516’s aboard the ship, and how we can solve problems even before they are able to manifest. We’re particularly interested in Product Link with a view to our deep sea fleet. If we’re able to monitor those ships accurately, and solve problems from back home with the aid of software, and if we can plan our engine maintenance very specifically outside of the PMS system because we already know in detail what the situation is, it’ll save us a lot of time and logistic and that’s money in the pocket.”

Rob Gouka

Technical Manager Multraship Towage & Salvage

“If we can monitor problems and solve them preventatively, it saves us a lot of time and logistics and that’s money in the pocket.”

ADDED VALUE

“It’s really quite simple”, explains Joost Schapendonk, Manager Technical Support at Pon Power. “In Pon Power we have a vast knowledge base and extensive experience of Cat engines. Product Link has been developed to unleash that knowledge and experience on the data we extract from the equipment that is operational at our customers, and which enables us to add value to those operations.” Sounds good, but a bit abstract, too. How does it actually work? “It starts with a small piece of hardware on the engine. This box retrieves the data from the engine’s communication system and sends it to the central database. Here, the data is converted to simple, understandable infographics, which can be viewed online by both the dealer and the customer.”

The application possibilities are manifold, and so are the advantages. Potentially a fleet owner or operator, for example, want to compare fuel economy, engine wear and efficiency from one ship to the next. Skippers can use the data to monitor and reduce emissions and/ or maximize engine performance. The online interface allows direct control of a number of basic functions, whereas in other cases preventative maintenance can be planned.