HEGEMANN V equipped with VisuDREDGE & Multiped: Data supports on board processes

When MSA-Service gets a request from HollandMT for technical support before and during the construction of the ship HEGEMANN V, Machiel ‘t Hoen immediately gets to work. Result: MSA-Service delivers a total package consisting of various components. First, the instrumentation is executed. The VisuDREDGE and Multiped systems are also installed, more about that later. And in the end, MSA-Service makes preparations for communication with the systems of end customers. Machiel: ‘This was a wonderful assignment that gave us the opportunity to show what our products and systems are capable of. The ship has now been in service for over six months, and I think it is important to know about the findings on board, so we visited the ship in Emden, Germany.’ What is it like on board this new, innovative dredger and how does the crew experience VisuDREDGE and Multiped? Let’s get on board this ship that was constructed by Kooiman Marine Group.

Customer experiences are essential
Together with Jan Willem de Wit, owner-director of HollandMT, Machiel visits the HEGEMANN V where a shift change is taking place right at that moment. Machiel: ‘A great moment to talk with as many people on board as possible about their experiences with our systems. What strikes me is the excitement of the crew about it. They use VisuDREDGE both for the control and monitoring of the dredging system and for the dredging work. Besides VisuDREDGE, our Multiped system was also installed on the HEGEMANN V. This system collects information from the dredging systems and this data can be used to generate daily reports semi-automatically, makes processes transparent and optimizes them.
The crew provided valuable information that will allow us to refine the software even further. We continue to develop innovations in close collaboration, so the feedback is highly appreciated.’

Robustly built for proper analyses
Immediately upon entering the bridge the robust construction and the modern operating and visualization applications catch your eye. Machiel: ‘A total of five large screens have been installed, two of which display VisuDREDGE and two display QINSy. This program provides the crew with a visualization of the bottom and very accurately shows the work performed under water based on the GPS position.

A 24-inch touchscreen has also been centrally installed and with it all dredging systems can be operated using VisuDREDGE and on the screen all data from the ship and the dredging system can be accessed simultaneously with Multiped. With a few clicks on the screen, both the VisuDREDGE system and Multiped display the requested information. We are talking about both real-time and historical data. This provides the crew with immediate insight into where improvements are possible.’

Getting the most out of dredging software: improving work as a team
During the visit, MSA-Service talked with almost the entire crew, including surveyors Thomas Scheidl and Martin Loescher. They were already involved during the construction of the ship. Martin: ‘We expressed our wishes during construction. These were well implemented by the builder and MSA-Service. We have real-time information, and the layout of the dredging software really suits our way of working. We find the service excellent and we’re happy with the visit.’

Thomas adds that VisuDREDGE greatly simplifies work on board: ‘With VisuDREDGE, work can continue when we want to extract information from the system in the background or implement improvements on board. That is impossible with the other systems that we use where the entire operation must be stopped. As a team we want to get the most out of the ship. We as a team can really improve our dredging activities with this dredging software.’ 

Data is worth its weight in gold
During the shift change, Jean Schüssler also comes on board. He is first officer at HEGEMANN V, among others. He is very satisfied: ‘The programs show me all the results in a clear overview. The advantage is that I receive the information projected in real time which allows me to act immediately. The systems we used before only provided that data much later, reason why I was unable to respond to certain situations in time. That real-time information and data analysis is really worth its weight in gold to us.’

Turnkey solutions, service and efficiency first
Machiel concludes: ‘MSA-Service has a passion for maritime technology. With our systems we help the crew on board with their work. With the VisuDREDGE and Multiped systems, we want to further optimize work and efficiency on board ships. We enjoy thinking along with the customer about their specific wishes in terms of both software and measurements to be developed specifically. We use A-class products for this. We focus on thinking along and delivering a total solution. From advice to instrumentation and from installation to additional programs such as QINSy.

Today’s visit to the HEGEMANN V shows that our VisuDREDGE and Multiped systems really support the maritime sector in its activities. On the one hand, on board the ship. And on the other hand, in the office. In a simple and accessible way, the report on the performance of the assets can be discussed, based on both real-time and historical data. And indeed, Jean is right. The data and analyses from the systems offer great potential. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all crew members for their trust and the enthusiastic, frank conversations.’

Note: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DredgingToday.com.