Samenvatting

While condition-based maintenance (CBM) has been established as an effective
maintenance strategy in comparison with time-based maintenance (TBM), it has not
garnered popularity in the maritime industry. Instead, TBM has been established as the norm
for most maintenance programs on board ships. Research indicates that under some
circumstances TBM is an ineffective strategy, however, and that using CBM as a
complement to TBM wil solve that problem.
A case study involving the LNG carrier Coral Energy explores the possibility of expanding the
use of CBM and determining how it will improve the state of maintenance on board. The
literature provides information on how implementation of CBM is best accomplished.
It turns out that the maintenance program on the Coral Energy is poorly developed. Timebased
maintenance is mostly reserved for the main engine and auxiliary engines, while most
other critical equipment is maintained reactively, with maintenance performed as a result of
periodic equipment inspections that are used to discover failures. Run-to-failure maintenance
is also common, but is only principally used for machines that are implemented with
redundancy.
Condition monitoring systems are present for the engines and several other applications, but
are not used as part of a developed CBM strategy. There is a potential for further
development. Data acquired in the monitoring process is often of poor quality and not
suitable for processing. Another problem is that in the situations where TBM is being used,
components are giving out before their allotted lifetime has been completed, thereby causing
unexpected failures.
While the crew is hardly aware of the existence of CBM and the theory behind it, they can
see how the quality of the maintenance system could be improved. They are also open to
change to the maintenance culture on board the ship.
It is found that for practical implementation of solutions to the problems identified, the best
investments are made in training and awareness, with a goal of utilizing simple CBM
methods that use conventional tools rather than complex systems. There are also condition
monitoring systems already in place that could be used to greater effect.
These implementations should solve the problems identified. Training and instruction of
engineers should also increase awareness of maintenance strategies, which will increase the
quality of work.
These points, in summary, provide a method to improve the state of maintenance on board
the Coral Energy using CBM and general improvement of system quality. It is recommended
that the company look into ways to provide training and instruction to its engineers as the
way forward into a more proactive maintenance culture across the fleet.