Life on the high seas can get very tough, so technical systems used in the maritime industry require highly effective protection against environmental influences such as humidity, large temperature fluctuations and strong vibrations. Even under these difficult conditions, sensitive nautical systems on vessels such as freight or passenger ships must operate reliably at all times. Complete system solutions for special environmental requirements take these conditions into account and meet the specific needs of the maritime industry.
IT systems that keep you on course
It’s gale force 12 and the stabilisation systems are working flat out, generating tens of thousands of horsepower to keep the 4,000 containers on board as still as possible. The maritime industry must cope with conditions like these. It goes without saying that IT systems now control stabilisation equipment of this kind and many other nautical installations on board freight and passenger vessels. In addition to this, there are specific nautical systems such as navigation devices, marine radio systems, radar equipment and satellite telephones, the main and emergency switchboards on the bridge, motor starters and, for example, lighting systems. Safety equipment on passenger ships needs to operate reliably at all times, as do technical solutions for amenities during the voyage. Their conditions of use are somewhat more demanding than those in a data centre with climate control on dry land.
All aspects need to meet these special environmental requirements – the installation of systems in enclosures and IT racks, their power supply and backup, and climate control.
On dry land, too, robust solutions are required for maritime logistics
Just like container ships and luxury liners, facilities such as loading and unloading systems at cargo ports and the associated transportation and cargo handling systems need to be designed for maximum reliability and harsh conditions. Even port administration data centres and the check-in systems at passenger terminals should support higher loads than IT solutions for less challenging environments. Systems and solutions that are compatible with the nautical sector ensure the necessary high operational reliability at all times, even under the difficult conditions encountered in international shipping.
Rittal solutions – all bases covered
Rittal offers enclosure systems in a range of sizes, designs and surface coatings to securely accommodate controllers and switchgear, including targeted climate control solutions, even in heavy seas and under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. The international approvals and certifications required for the maritime sector – including Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd’s Register and the American Bureau of Shipping – provide confirmation that systems can withstand these specific conditions. Rittal products and solutions are used in applications such as passenger administration, entertainment and communication. They also ensure a reliable supply of power to vessels’ operating equipment – including motor starters, lighting, ballast water management, fuel systems and waste systems – and can be found in navigation, position-finding and automation systems, in the control desks located in engine control rooms, and in evaluation and energy monitoring devices.
Rittal enclosure solutions are available in sheet steel, aluminium zinc, plastic and stainless steel. Super-tough surface coatings permanently protect the sensitive electronics to keep them working reliably at all times.