Innovative collaboration between Van Wijngaarden Marine Services B.V. and MSA-Service with Multiped

The collaboration with MSA-Service began after an initial meeting at the Maritime24 event, where Jan-Willem met Machiel ’t Hoen, director of MSA-Service. Jan-Willem indicated that Van Wijngaarden Marine Services was facing a challenge regarding depth measurements for dredging operations. These measurements are essential to determine if the plough is at the correct depth. Jan-Willem: “Before Multiped, we performed measurements manually, using ropes, tape measures, and paint marks on the hoist wire. This obviously did not result in the desired accuracy. MSA-Service was eager to tackle the challenge with us. Together, we developed a system that can determine the exact location in real-time. This system, the Multiped, uses an encoder on the diabolo roll to measure the length of the wire, corrected with GPS data.”

Real-time insight into dredging operations with Multiped

Jan-Willem is enthusiastic about the collaboration with MSA-Service. Ten years ago, he started at Van Wijngaarden Marine Services as a technical superintendent. He is responsible for managing onboard systems, procurement, inspections, repairs, and implementing new innovative applications. He reports: “Using Multiped in combination with the encoder from MSA-Service offers us many advantages. We can now present our operations to our clients - including Boskalis, Van Oord, DEME, and Jan de Nul - in real-time. Multiped enables us to perform tasks very precisely. With the information from Multiped, our crew can manage the plough very accurately. The system offers a more accurate alternative to traditional cable measurements and saves the crew time. Previously, this measurement and information recording procedure was very time-consuming. Now, it happens with a single click and the data is automatically processed into a report.”

Data at a detailed level

While using Multiped for dredging measurement reporting, Jan-Willem saw many more opportunities for deploying Multiped. "We want to use this system more broadly for logging data on our fleet,” he says. This system can make all available data transparent in no time through simple actions. Besides dredging measurements, there are many more application possibilities because it is a broad, stable platform. Think of analyzing data to identify faults and predicting when certain systems need maintenance. This overview ranges from a few weeks to a detail level of milliseconds.” Jan-Willem, who is also the innovation manager at Van Wijngaarden Marine Services, sees a significant opportunity for innovation that benefits both the company and its clients. What opportunities does Jan-Willem see?

Comparing, analyzing, & anticipating with Multiped

Currently, the final touches are made to create daily reports. MSA-Service is working on this, partly based on input from Jan-Willem and his colleagues. The reports will include engine speeds, fuel consumption, GPS positions and production data. This helps the crew to become more aware of the impact of certain choices and supports them in working more precisely and efficiently. “But only having individual data is not enough. The name Multiped says it all: it is a multi-purpose system. It excels in comparing and analyzing data. And trending, which is also very important to increase efficiency.”

Jan-Willem continues: “With Multiped, we can advise our clients better on deploying each ship as sustainably and efficiently as possible. Moreover, based on the data, we will soon be able to select a ship that fits the client’s task. And while we are on the topic of sustainability, we can also compare ships. Creating operational profiles per ship allows us to make data-driven, sustainable choices as a team.”

Finally, Jan-Willem notes that to optimize the use of Multiped, there are infrastructural implications on board to successfully implement such a system. Think of installing sensors that can measure accurately. “With MSA-Service’s highly precise heavy-duty sensors, you’re in good hands. Ultimately, I aim to ensure that the combination of ship, people and systems can operate as effectively as possible. At Van Wijngaarden Marine Services, we always look for innovations that can take us further.”