Condition-based Maintenance Conference

The conference will be held at IMarEST Headquarters at 80 Coleman Street, London EC2R 5BJ, UK on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 September 2010. It has already attracted IFM Electronics and James Fisher MIMIC Ltd as sponsors.

The importance of machinery maintenance on board vessels is a key consideration for all ship owners and operators. Yet, after bunker maintenance it represents a controllable operating expenditure and is therefore often targeted when looking for cost-cutting opportunities during times when margins are eroded due to increased operating costs and reduced charter rates.

While simply cutting budget to protect profitability is in most cases a false economy -it is the best maintainers who operate at the lowest overall cost - condition based maintenance (CBM) cuts cost for ship owners.

"To cut costs CBM must be properly implemented as a replacement of, rather than an addition to, traditional planned machinery maintenance," explain the joint chairmen of the conference, Capt Kuba Szymanski, secretary general elect, InterManager and Bob Hargreaves, technical director, RCM Marine who are both delivering presentations during the two day event. "This can now be achieved, since new condition monitoring (CM) technologies are becoming increasingly mature."

Following a scene setting keynote address by Richard Greiner, Shipping Partner, Moore Stephens LLP who will be focussing on maintenance costs, the conference will provide valuable insights into establishing a successful CBM programme; criticality assessments; benefits of a risk based approach; advantages of planning a CBM strategy and installing CM into new builds; the lack of maintenance specialists - asking the question ‘why is industry not investing?'; cutting edge CM technology; Class requirements; consequences of deviations from OEM; and maintenance and emission control. There will also be case histories covering cruise ships, naval experience of integrating a fleet-wide CM strategy; and a new approach to engine performance analysis. It will also include a demonstration of a remote CM system.

The importance of networking is well recognised by IMarEST and there will be a conference reception on 28 September as well as networking opportunities first thing in the morning, at lunch and at coffee and tea breaks throughout both days.