CASE STUDIES
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Project Profile #1 - Moss Landing Marine Laboratory
Project Profile #2 - Washington State Ferries
Project Profile #3 - UNOLS/Oregon State University
Project Profile #4 - Everett Engineering
Project Profile #5 - NOAA, Pacific Marine Center
Project Profile #6 - Scripps Oceanographic Institution
Project Profile #7 - R/V "Weatherbird II"
Project Profile #8 - Robway Crane Safety, Inc.
Project Profile #9 - LCI-90 Customized for Bardex Corporation:
Measurement Technology NW designs and manufactures sophisticated testing and measurement instrumentation systems for a variety of commercial, research and government clients worldwide.
Contact: Dave Heiss
Measurement Technology NW
Email: daveh@mtnw-usa.com
Phone: 206-634-1308
Fax: 206-634-1309
Project Profile #1 - Moss Landing Marine Laboratory
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
You're off the coast of California in 8,000 feet of water aboard the R/V Point Sur, a 135' oceanographic research vessel operated by the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. Over the side of the ship is a ¾" wire rope attached to a multi-core sediment sampling unit that has been descending at 60' per minute for the last 2 hours. When sonar reports showed the package was approximately 30' above the ocean floor the winch came to a stop, and now, at last, it's showtime. All eyes are focused on winch monitors that track the multi-core's final slow, controlled drop to the bottom and the beginning of the sampling process.
"Make a mistake during a coring cast," cautions Richard Muller, Marine Superintendent of Moss Landing Marine Labs, "and especially in deep water, you've blown half a day. To be successful, our winch operators need precise, real time winch data to have a clear picture of what's going on at the end of the wire. Our old winch data acquisition system was quickly becoming obsolete, and since we were installing a new CUBE6 winch from Markey Machinery Company, we decided to also investigate new winch monitoring equipment. Measurement Technology NW stood out as the only qualified group who could assist us with our needs."
Measurement Technology NW engineers visited the R/V Point Sur, discussed the situation with the ship's Marine Technicians and crew, and settled upon the idea of continuing to have all three ship winches monitored and controlled from the bridge. A PC software program was developed that interfaced with rugged LCI-90 line control hardware, transforming the received data into a sophisticated graphical display of line payout, speed, and tension. This exciting program, called WinchDAC, also features data logging capabilities that made it easy for scientists aboard the R/V Point Sur to match collected samples with information about where and when they were obtained.
"We were very pleased with the way the system worked on our last voyage." confirmed Richard Muller. "The graphical WinchDAC display was perfect for executing the fine, detailed work we must do to gather undisturbed cores, and the program also let us verify at a glance that winch operations were remaining in safe zones."
Measurement Technology Northwest's exclusive winch monitoring system is a highly versatile platform that displays line tension, payout, and speed for multi-winch installations through a central operator computer interface.
Signals from count and force sensors mounted on each winch are captured and converted into engineering units by an LCI processor, and the resulting data is communicated through a serial interface to a central PC with an optional touch-screen display. There, WinchDAC software generates a user-friendly graphical interface showing speed, tension, and payout alarm status.
The WinchDAC program has the ability to log and summarize cast data, replay the time history plot for line payout, speed, and tension from past casts on a second screen, calibrate winch tension and count sensors directly from the central computer (multi-winch version only), and allows operators to customize the display to their specific requirements.
The WinchDAC software package has been developed to accommodate any winch configuration involving one to eight separate winches.
"We deal with a great many vendors," added Richard, "and Measurement Technology NW is about as good as it gets. We needed this new system to come together and perform the first time out, and they listened to us, worked hard, figured out the problems, and delivered a great product."
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC, and more. To learn how we can help your company improve the odds of success, contact us at 206-634-1308, or send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #2 - Washington State Ferries
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the United States, serving eight counties within Washington and the Province of British Columbia in Canada. The existing system consists of 10 routes and 20 terminals served by 29 vessels, and it's an essential part of Western Washington's highway network - carrying over 11 million vehicles and 26 million people per year. For several Puget Sound island communities, WSF ferries provide the only link for automobile travel with the mainland.
As part of a safety upgrade to state ferry terminals, WSF engineers wanted to install line tension monitors to the heavily used auto and passenger transfer spans that connect vessel and terminal. "We have hoist systems that raise and lower the transfer spans onto load pins once a ferry is in position at the dock," explained James Schufreider, Marine Mechanical Engineer with Washington State Ferries. "When a span is lowered onto the pins, our winch operators would sometimes payout too much cable - causing it to slacken on the drum and get tangled/miswound later when the span was raised. We were very concerned about potential cable damage causing early failure of this system."
Measurement Technology Northwest was called in to develop a dedicated line monitoring system consisting of an LCI-100 Dual Tension Display (modified for this application), one or two 7,000 pound tension links, and interconnect cables. The LCI-100 interfaces with the analog output of the tension links, and provides a visual display of line tension along with the added safety of high/low tension alarm setpoints. This new system shuts off the winch automatically so tension stays on the cable and miswinding cannot occur. The only requirements are annual calibration checks and visual inspections to ensure continued trouble-free performance.
According to James Schufreider, "the LCI system is terrific. We can program custom setpoints on-site for each installation to accommodate varying equipment loads, brands, ages, and placement. We can also calibrate unbalanced loads so there isn't any excessive counterweighting. Now our winch operators are better able to do their jobs safely and with more consistent results. Overall it's been a great experience. I can't say enough about the equipment or the technical support we've received from Measurement Technology NW."
The LCI-100 line control instrument is a robust, full-featured workhorse that offers exceptional performance and readability in demanding environments from -40°C to +75°C. Both the LCI-100 and the LCI-90 units are available in Dual Tension Display configurations, allowing them to display two channels of line tension for winch and wire rope applications.
The UL-approved LCI series also feature an easy-to-follow English language menu for field calibration changes, I/O channel configuration, alarm settings, network settings, and screen layout - all accessed through the five pushbutton front keypad.
"As an engineer, I know that there will always be some quirks discovered during an equipment installation," noted James. "Measurement Technology NW's support during this phase was awesome. They were super-dependable, always there to help with the fine-tuning, and when we agreed on modifications they would automatically upgrade all our previously installed units to the same level of performance. WSF was so impressed we decided to sole-source this system -- a very unusual move for a state agency!"
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC, and more. To learn how we can help your company reach its goals, contact us at 206-634-1308, or send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #3 - UNOLS/Oregon State University
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics) is a worldwide oceanographic research endeavor that will ultimately lead to an understanding of how global change affects the ocean ecosystem, its major subsystems, and help predict the overall impact of change on the abundance, diversity and productivity of marine populations.
Participating in this major project is a regular occurrence for the crew and scientists of the R/V Wecoma, operated by Oregon State University for the National Science Foundation as part of the UNOLS fleet. "A typical year finds us out to sea between 180 and 220 days," said Marc Willis, Marine Technician Superintendent for OSU. "We get involved in all types of GLOBEC-related oceanographic work - fisheries research, climate studies, upwellings, and more. The R/V Wecoma's capabilities make her a popular choice for large-scale, long-term ocean research, but with that demand comes the responsibility to ensure all our ship information systems are up-to-date, reliable and accurate."
When Marc found that their existing winch monitoring equipment was outdated and no longer supported by the manufacturer, it was clearly time to make a change. Not wanting to replace more than was necessary, Marc completed an inventory of installed winch sensors and equipment, and then began looking at compatible, drop-in line monitoring units that could take over the task right out of the box. All leads pointed toward Measurement Technology NW.
"I couldn't be happier with the decision to purchase LCI-90 and LCI-90R winch monitors from Measurement Technology NW", confirmed Marc. "The LCI units slipped right into our existing panel cutouts, and they're easy to program, easy to use, and have been far more reliable than our previous displays ever were. The winch operators really like the one touch counter reset feature, and I like the quick calibration process and the way all the menu functions can be accessed through 5 pushbuttons on the front panel."
The UL-approved LCI-90 and LCI-90R are rugged winch line instruments designed as drop-in replacements for existing line monitoring equipment. Tension, payout, and line speed are displayed on a high performance 320x240 electroluminescent display for unmatched readability in all light conditions. Four I/O channels and serial networking capability provide flexibility in line monitoring, weighing, or SCADA applications, and the LCI-90 can be linked with up to 32 remote LCI-90R displays to create a shipwide monitoring network.
The R/V Wecoma installation was completed in March of 2002, and Marc remembers it well. "Measurement Technology NW was terrific. During installation they helped us figure out solutions to a problem we were having with the encoder interface, and through the whole retrofit process they provided constant support. I didn't expect it to be that easy, but the Measurement Technology NW team either had or were able to track down answers to every question I asked. The product documentation they supplied was first-class, and best of all, the LCI equipment continues to work great. It's one of the few products I've been able to install and then forget about."
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC, and more. To learn how we can help your company stay on the cutting edge, contact us at 206-634-1308, or send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #4 - Everett Engineering
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
In the world of tugboats, horsepower is king. Speed and maneuverability are great enhancements, but if you don't have horsepower - lots of horsepower - your days as a tugboat operator are probably numbered. How all that horsepower gets applied to the work of moving ships and hauling barges is a complicated story, but measuring how much of a tug's horsepower becomes useable force is much easier. Pacific Northwest tugboat operators just call Everett Engineering.
Everett Engineering is a Level 4 certified facility for testing bollard pull, as well as winches, spoolers, and other line tension applications. Dan Martin, owner of Everett Engineering, explains: "We hook up a 400,000 pound load cell to the tug's wire, then measure and certify the total bollard pull generated during the test. Along with ABS certification we can also provide a readout showing how much they pulled and when during the test they pulled it." However, Everett Engineering's portable test apparatus was at the end of its useful life and getting increasingly finicky. "Plugs and wires had to be connected and disconnected just right or they'd break, the battery charging system was beginning to cause voltage fluctuations, and the darned thing was just too awkward to set up over and over again. We'd go out to the test site and start piecing things together, and I'm sure clients would take one look at that old beast and begin worrying about how accurate a reading it was going to give them."
Once the decision was made to build a new portable testing unit, Dan had no trouble finding a company that would do it right - he called Measurement Technology NW. At the heart of Everett Engineering's new testing unit is our rugged LCI-90 display. It's bright electroluminescent screen, 9-18VDC or 18-36VDC power configuration, and multiple input/output capabilities made it the perfect candidate for the job. Easy-to-use calibration menus are accessible through five sealed front panel pushbuttons (once an LCI unit has been installed the operator has no need to access the rear of the display), and the LCI-90's heavy-duty stainless steel face and epoxy-potted Lexan window hold up to even the toughest conditions. The LCI-90 is sized to be a drop-in replacement for the now-defunct LM-2000 displays, and is available in several configurations including: Standard (line speed, payout, and tension), Drum Counter (line speed and payout, using sensors at the winch drum), Dual Tension (two tension readings), and Quad (two tension readings plus line speed and payout).
For tugboat bollard pull certifications and winch/spooler tests, Everett Engineering selected our Standard LCI-90 display.
"I'm completely happy with the job", said Dan, "The LCI-90 screen is bright and easy to read even in full sunlight, it's accurate, well-protected, and it looks and performs a whole lot more professionally than our old system ever did. Measurement Technology NW added an extra serial plug to interface with our Fluke meter, and made sure the final product was built to work the way we work. I could have gone elsewhere, but I'm glad I didn't. MTNW put together a top-quality piece of equipment for us, and I give them the ultimate compliment - I'd use them again!"
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC, and more. To learn how we can help your company improve the odds of success, contact us at 206-634-1308, or send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #5 - NOAA, Pacific Marine Center
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
Larry Loewen, Chief of Field Service, Branch B, Electronic Engineering Division for NOAA's Pacific Marine Center, handles equipment reviews, installations, and technical support for the 8 research vessels that make up NOAA's West Coast fleet. Faced with increasingly tight government budgets, he and his team quickly learned that in a lean organization, good equipment is critical. "All our ships run with a single on-board technician who works on and is responsible for everything electronic," explained Larry, "and unreliable equipment is their worst nightmare." Unfortunately, NOAA's old winch monitoring systems fell into that category.
"We had built the monitors ourselves many years ago when a search of commercially available products failed to turn up anything that met our requirements. While they worked, they didn't always work well. Troubleshooting usually meant disassembly, and when we finally reached our pain threshold and revisited the commercial market, Measurement Technology NW was there with the LCI-90."
The LCI-90 is an advanced winch line control display that accepts analog signals from force transducers and count signals from either a pair of proximity sensors or quadrature encoder. Force transducers can be any number of devices including load pins installed on overboarding sheaves, tension links or instrumented clevis pins. External sensor signals are converted into engineering units and displayed locally (via the LCI display), and, if desired, broadcasted to remote monitoring devices via an RS-485 serial communication link. All LCI-90 programming functions required to set or change units, alarm limits, silence external alarms, wrap angle corrections and reset payout readings are available through the five front panel pushbuttons. Even raw diagnostic information is available in this manner to the winch operator - there is no need to access the rear of the display.
Impressively rugged and reliable, the Measurement Technology NW LCI displays installed on NOAA's Pacific Marine Center research fleet travel from the poles to the equator in some of the harshest environments on earth. Their heavy-duty 316 stainless steel front panels and sealed membrane pushbuttons, bright, high-contrast electroluminescent displays, and intuitive English language menus provide unmatched strength, visibility, and ease of use - something NOAA has come to appreciate.
"The LCI-90's are a huge improvement over what we had," confirmed Larry. "They're very rugged, take lots of abuse, and work great with minimal maintenance. I think the display itself is the best in the business, with terrific visibility in all conditions - day or night. Installation was super easy, and their calibration menus are a breeze. I would certainly recommend the LCI-90. There is nothing else on the market that compares, and we are very happy to finally have a winch instrumentation system we don't have to worry about."
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision winch line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC, and more. To learn how you can get rid of the maintenance headaches and hidden costs of old equipment, call us at 206-634-1308, send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com, or check us out at www.mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #6 - Scripps Oceanographic Institution
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
"I think of my job as 90% preparation and 10% terror," said Paul Mauricio, Senior Chief Engineer for the R/V "Roger Revelle" operated by Scripps Oceanographic Institution. "Equipment breakdowns make my life miserable, so I work really hard to eliminate these kinds of problems before they happen."
The "Roger Revelle" is out to sea over 300 days a year conducting all kinds of physical oceanography, including towed arrays, ocean bottom mapping, biological surveys, and just about anything else the on-board scientists have in mind. But because weather, sea conditions, and tight schedules can be unforgiving, it's not unusual for researchers to get only one shot at collecting the data they need - which explains why reliable deck equipment is such a high priority on Paul's to-do list.
"The Revelle's old winch instrumentation system was not as robust as we needed, with a susceptibility to radio interference and a difficult to read LCD display," admitted Paul. "We began looking at replacement systems last year, and were immediately attracted to Measurement Technology NW. MTNW had worked with Scripps Institute on some previous projects, including the "Roger Revelle's" big scoreboard display, and we had heard from other LCI users that their displays delivered excellent performance with almost zero downtime."
Certified for operation in temperatures from -40°C to 75°C, all LCI displays feature rugged NEMA 4X stainless steel and Lexan front panels, sealed stainless steel pushbuttons, and a bright 1/4 VGA electroluminescent display (with 160° viewing angle) that's clearly visible even in direct sunlight. Our compact LCI-90 displays have proven their durability and reliability time and again in some of the most extreme environments on earth. In fact, every LCI-90 display Measurement Technology NW has built over the years, every single one, is still hard at work out in the field.
"My crew and I have been very happy with the ship's new LCI-90 system," Paul confirmed. "The displays are stable and extremely reliable, and our scientists - particularly the guys doing bottom work - appreciate the accuracy and fast refresh rates. Their on-deck programmability is quick and easy, a built-in security feature keeps local configuration settings from being accidentally changed, and we can dump the LCI-90's RS-232 data stream straight to our shipboard computer for later review and analysis. Installation was painless too. Measurement Technology NW was super supportive every step of the way, even when at the last minute we asked for a display to be installed in the van used to control our "Jason" ROV. They took care of it on the spot, and everything worked out great."
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision winch line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series, WinchDAC software, and more. Give yourself one less thing to worry about by contacting MTNW at 206-634-1308, send an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com, or check us out online at www.mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #7 - R/V "Weatherbird II"
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
Originally founded in 1903, the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) became a year-round research center in 1954 with the establishment of Hydrostation "S" - a time series of regular, repeated deep-sea observations that now, 50+ years later, represents the longest continuous oceanic database in the world. Maintaining the Hydrostation "S" study is a primary responsibility for scientists and crew aboard the R/V "Weatherbird II", BBSR's 115-foot oceangoing research vessel. As a general purpose oceanographic vessel, the Weatherbird II is capable of performing CTD and hydrographic casts to 7,000 meters. The stern A-frame and six on-deck winches are kept busy deploying mooring arrays, benthic landers and sound sources, setting and recovering current meters, conducting biological trawls and other deep-sea marine operations.
Captain Lee Black, Marine Superintendent for the BBSR, wanted to update the ship's winch monitoring systems to include more advanced data logging, and he approached Markey Machinery for a recommendation. Based on past successes, the Markey team asked Measurement Technology NW to take on the task.
According to Lee, "Deciding between a switched display system and a dedicated display system was tough, and we went through several good designs from Measurement Technology NW before selecting a hybrid system that gave us the best of both worlds. Now on the "Weatherbird II", each winch has a dedicated LCI-90 display but its RS-485 data output can be switched for remote viewing at the stern console or at either of our two remote stations. At the bridge I can switch between any winch and see all the line parameters in real time, while the shipboard computer stays connected 24/7 for data logging. It's a great system that I've already recommended to other vessel operators."
Stuart Halewood, BBSR's Senior Marine Technician, adds, "The new LCI-90 system is a big step forward. By just flipping a switch we can see data from any active winch, and we can continuously data log all line parameters from every winch. At the end of a cruise I'm now able to give the scientists a CD containing all the winch data from their activities, and that's been very much appreciated. When the research scientists leave happy, I'm happy."
Custom installations like the BBSR's "Weatherbird II" highlight the power and versatility of Measurement Technology NW's LCI displays, and help show off the marine engineering expertise we bring to every project. Why not let the next project be yours? For needs as simple as a drop-in replacement for a failed LM-2000, to complex assignments like a new shipboard winch monitoring system, MTNW's rugged, high-performance LCI-90/LCI-100 displays and versatile WinchDAC software for the PC give you the power to do more than you ever could before.
Find out what MTNW can do to boost the capabilities of your winch monitoring system by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #8 - Robway Crane Safety, Inc.
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
Graeme Cashen from Robway Crane Safety Inc., the North American distributor for Robway Crane Safety Systems Pty. Ltd., likes to describe his company's product lines as being for "anything that lifts anything else up." Heavily involved in all types of crane applications, Robway Crane Safety provides products and consulting services for drilling rigs and platforms, pipe laying, mooring, barges and support vessels, as well as port and shipyard material handling systems.
Although Robway manufactures their own line of load indicators, according to Graeme they are primarily crane-specific devices. "For my purposes the LCI-90 winch monitor from Measurement Technology NW was a great find. Even though we offer similar products, I could see a need for the LCI product line, especially for our in-house testing of running line tensiometers and load cells, and for winch monitoring applications where high visibility is a key issue. I first discovered the LCI-90 on the internet, and was impressed with the bright EL (electroluminescent) display. I get involved in quite a few outdoor applications, and in direct sunlight the LCI-90's display is so much more visible that the LCD-based displays I've seen from other suppliers. I also like how it's set up - with easy connections, easy operation, and great documentation. It's a nice user-friendly package, and I put mine to work right away."
Measurement Technology NW developed the LCI-90 to be a drop-in replacement for the now-defunct LM-2000 displays from MD Totco. The comparison stops there however, as the LCI-90 features a rugged stainless steel and lexan front panel with five permanently sealed stainless steel pushbuttons. These pushbuttons provide access to a clear, English language-based programming menu that allows the operator to configure and calibrate the display, change units on-the-fly, set alarms, and control serial data flow to remote displays or a PC computer. In both hardware and software, the LCI-90 was built to thrive in the kinds of conditions faced every day by oceanographic researchers, tugboat operators, offshore oil rigs, commercial and military ships, and fishing vessel crews around the world.
"I've used lots of line control systems over the years," added Graeme, "and some are complicated. These LCI-90 displays are different. They're tough, robust units that are very easy to understand, which is IMPORTANT because varying amounts of our time is spent training operators and technicians, as well as providing backup support. I think the typical operator could become a comfortable LCI user after just a few minutes of hands-on practice, and they'd have no problem customizing the display for their specific application. Measurement Technology NW support has been very good when any questions do come up, and I can tell you that the whole LCI product/service package impressed me so much I asked to become an MTNW distributor!"
For new or retrofit winch instrumentation projects, the rugged power, easy versatility, and surprising affordability of Measurement Technology NW's LCI displays can make your day. For needs as simple as a drop-in replacement for a failed LM-2000, to more complex assignments like a new shipboard winch monitoring system, our high-performance LCI-90/LCI-100 displays will impress you too.
Find out what MTNW can do to boost the capabilities of your winch monitoring system by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW
4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project Profile #9 - LCI-90 Customized for Bardex Corporation:
(Download Case Study PDF >>)
Due to expected new US government safety regulations, floating drill rigs that use a standard 8-mooring line layout are pursuing upgrades to more secure 12-mooring line configurations, for increased holding capacity in the hurricane-prone Gulf of Mexico. As part of this upcoming government initiative, Bardex Corporation worked with Measurement Technology NW to develop tension monitoring displays for an upgraded Linear Chain Jack Mooring System to be installed on the semi-submersible rig, "Jack Bates".
Bardex designs and supplies heavy load moving, handling and positioning systems for the offshore and shipyard industries, and for "Jack Bates" the upgraded Bardex mooring system consisted of four linear chain jack assemblies and four deck-mounted idler sheave assemblies, all designed with a stall/hold capacity of 550 kips/600 kips.
A load monitoring system was included to provide individual line tension display at both the control console and in the central control room, and that’s where MTNW came in. Measurement Technology NW developed a custom LCI-90 model that would accept four analog tension signals from a pair of dual-bridge load cells installed on opposite sides of the stopper latches in each Chain Jack. These four signals feed into one LCI-90 display unit as 4-20mA inputs. The inputs are calibrated individually in the LCI display, and then averaged to generate a tension readout on the LCI-90’s main screen.
The LCI-90 main screen was further modified to show the four signals in engineering units as well as the enabled/disabled status of each load cell bridge. If any bridge readings drift outside a pre-determined range, that bridge is automatically disabled and a warning is displayed on the LCI-90. In the event a load cell bridge is disabled the value from the remaining bridge is used twice in the averaging calculation (and if both bridges are disabled that load cell is removed from the computations), for full redundancy and uninterrupted mooring operations.
Certified for operation in temperatures ranging from -40°C to 75°C, every LCI display features a rugged watertight stainless steel and Lexan front panels, sealed stainless steel pushbuttons, and bright 320x240 electroluminescent displays with a 160° viewing angle that’s clearly visible even in direct sunlight. The compact LCI-90’s from Measurement Technology NW have proven their durability and reliability time and again in some of the most extreme environments on earth. In fact, every LCI winch display we’ve built over the years, every single one, is still hard at work out in the field. Your source for advanced winch line control and monitoring systems
You can view a video demonstrating the full range of abilities offered by the LCI-90 here
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series displays, WinchDAC and MarQuip® Mooring software, and much more. Find out what MTNW can do for you by contacting us at 206-634-1308, or sending an email inquiry to lci@mtnw-usa.com.
Measurement Technology NW4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com
Project-profile #9 - Measurement Technology Brings New Mooring Technology to Oil & Gas Operators in the Middle East
Measurement Technology NW has recently completed the contract to provide an 8-point mooring monitoring system for the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Designed for NPCC's SEP-350 (Self Elevating Platform) vessel, the new running line tensiometer and LCI-90 "Dual Winch" display system replaces an old 4-point mooring installation that no longer met the company's performance standards.
NPCC chose to work with Measurement Technology NW because the Line Control Instrument monitoring and control system increases workplace and property safety. "The new technology and approach that we offer are exactly what modern off-shore rig and risk managers are looking for," said Tom Rezanka, Director of the LCI division of Measurement Technology NW. "The opportunity to continuously monitor current trends and historical peak loads locally at the mooring station, in the control room and off-site through the PC increases the safety factor beyond other current tension monitoring systems in the market."
NPCC's new mooring instrumentation consists of eight running line load monitors optimized for 1.5" wire rope and equipped with rotational and force transducers in a removable center sheave.
NPCC is a fully integrated onshore and offshore EPC contractor, providing a wide range of surveying, engineering, and construction services. NPCC's marine fleet consists of 13 construction barges, and this particular SEP-350 project planned for the installation of eight tensiometers, cables, LCI-90 display monitors, and all the necessary PC hardware and software to remotely view mooring tension and payout in the barge's control tower.
Measurement Technology NW produces a wide range of precision line control products, including the LCI-90 and LCI-100 series displays, WinchDAC and MarQuip® Mooring software, and much more. Look for MTNW at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, May 4-May 7, 2009. A variety of our LCI displays, tension sensors and software, will be on display in Pavilions booth #8844.
Measurement Technology NW4211 - 24th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98199
www.mtnw-usa.com