SKF Concludes Strategic Service Agreement with Floatel International AB

SKF has concluded a global service agreement with Floatel International AB to supply services within condition-based maintenance to the company's modern floating accommodation and service platforms for maintenance personnel within the offshore industry.

Floatel International would like to increase the service interval for its thrusters, which are used to keep the platforms in position, so-called dynamic positioning. By extending the maintenance interval from five to seven years, the company will have greater flexibility when planning dockyard visits, as well as increased flexibility in serving the market.

Extending the service interval is possible thanks to condition-based maintenance, which uses equipment and methods approved by the classification societies DNV and ABS. The primary advantage of using a condition-based system is an ability to meet the customer's accessibility needs and coordinate maintenance of on-board equipment with a dockyard visit. Using a condition-based system can also help to reduce the costs associated with dismantling the thrusters over the lifetime of the platform. It's very costly to dismantle a thruster, meaning the overall cost is reduced by extending the service interval.

"This strategic agreement is an important development for SKF and our technology for condition-based maintenance within the marine industry," says Anders Welin, Business Engineer at SKF.

State-of-the-art floatels
Floatel International's state-of-the-art service vessels are built to withstand tough weather conditions at sea and the company currently operates four platforms around the world in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Australia and Brazil. The platforms can accommodate over 400 beds, 70 or so office work stations and over 2,000 square meter of deck work area with cranes and service equipment.

SKF will equip each thruster on the platform with SKF Multilog IMX-M, which is a sophisticated online system for monitoring complex rotating machinery. This robust and easy-to-use system also communicates with the platform's internal control system (DCS), providing early notification about vibrations and temperatures that exceed established control limits. All data is stored and analysed on a monthly basis by experts at SKF using SKF Aptitude Observer software. Recommended actions are communicated to Floatel with the aid of a web-based presentation system, SKF Results Reporter.

"This global agreement for condition-based maintenance creates new opportunities for expanding the programme to include more of the system's critical mechanical elements," says Anders Welin.

Facts about Floatel International AB
Floatel International AB was established in 2006 to satisfy market demand for a new generation of offshore floatels. The company's vision is to own and operate the most modern, safe and reliable floatel fleet in the world in order to meet the increased market demand.