NYK begins move to condition based maintenance for diesel engines

apanese shipping company NYK has been granted approval from ClassNK for a new condition based maintenance method on its owned coal carrier Noshiro Maru, replacing the time-based maintenance (TBM) schedule previously applied.

TBM requires periodic inspections regardless of the condition of the equipment, potentially incurring additional repair costs and impacting the vessel’s operation schedule. To address these issues, NYK and its in-house R&D subsidiary Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), working with ClassNK and Japan Engine Corporation, began conducting joint research on using CBM to optimise maintenance.

The certified CBM method introduced involves monitoring of the condition of bearings within large marine diesel engines using temperature data, a process outlined in ClassNK’s CBM Guidelines, Second Edition issued in 2021.

A Diesel Engine Main Bearing Condition Monitoring System, which displays bearing temperature data obtained through sensors installed on the main bearings as well as ship operation data, was subsequently developed and has now been implemented on the NYK-owned coal carrier Noshiro Maru.

That data is also made available for sharing with classification societies and engine manufacturers on a real time basis, as required.

Following its implementation on Noshiro Maru, NYK says it is now considering applying the CBM method to other NYK Group-owned vessels, and looking at how it might apply CBM-based maintenance to equipment other than main engine bearings.

In the future, the shipping company also aims to develop autonomous CBM system where artificial intelligence (AI) can constantly monitor the status of engine plants throughout the fleet and determine the timing of maintenance by making use of information such as operating schedules.