The drill ship "West Navigator" operating off the Norwegian coast became in April 2007 the first vessel to be connected 24/7 on-line to Wärtsilä's CBM (Condition-Based Maintenance) on-line service. This dynamically-positioned drill ship is powered by seven Wärtsilä diesel generating sets having a combined output of 37.5 MW. The CBM solution provides on-line guidance to engine users indicating any deviations of the engine's normal operating parameters. It can spot fault sources and emerging operational trends well before any failure occurs thereby enabling proactive rather than reactive maintenance.

The CBM on-line service uses a combination of on-line monitoring of mechanical and thermal condition, system efficiency data and many other indicators to assess the condition of an engine. All this information is transmitted using satellite communication to Wärtsilä service engineers at the CBM Centres in Finland and Norway. The received data are automatically analyzed by Wärtsilä’s proprietary software and then by a service team. Regular reports are provided to the engine users based on established guidelines and specific operating conditions.

CBM service also helps keeping a close watch on the stock of spare parts, providing advice for ordering of parts in advance of coming needs. This allows reducing unnecessary maintenance spending while extending times between overhauls.