With its roots tracing back to the 15th Century, the UK has one of the oldest most and diverse merchant fleets. Today, the marine and port industry is one of the biggest and most vital contributors to the UK economy, with the sector estimated to bring a massive £116bn in total turnover every year. The sector handles 500 million tonnes of freight each year, as well as over 60 million international and domestic passenger journeys, and is one of the largest in Europe.
Although the range of hydraulic machinery found in marine and port is not too different from those found on a construction site, the sector is influenced by numerous unique challenges and working conditions. Here, we look at some of most notable trends happening in the marine and port industry and how they impact hydraulic operations.
Artificial intelligence and its application to hydraulics
The on-going development of artificial intelligence (AI) has countless potential for marine and port from the optimisation of logistical processes to opening the door to autonomous vessels. It’s not surprising that the integration of AI has been named as the industry’s biggest trend.
For technicians working with hydraulics, they can capitalise on the benefits of AI to usher in an enhanced level of predictive maintenance. Machine learning algorithms allow AI to make autonomous decisions and calculations and if we apply this to predictive maintenance, technicians will be able to identify potential issues before they potentially escalate. This agile ability to react on time as opposed to traditional preventive measures can avoid costly downtime and keep operations sailing smoothly.
Green port initiatives for cleaner operations
Governments around the world are looking to opt for more sustainable practices to address the ongoing climate crisis. As a result, we’re seeing numerous ‘green port initiatives’ being implemented to address the sector’s energy consumption and carbon impact. These ‘green port initiatives’ can be applied to hydraulics through the adoption of key components, such as pumps, valves and actuators, that can minimise energy consumption and reduce waste.
Additionally, we’re seeing a cultural shift in attitudes towards adopting biodegradable hydraulic oil products. Although they are not completely harmless, these biodegradable fluids are far less toxic than petroleum-based oils, so they would cause far less damage in the event of a leak or spill due to their ability to break down naturally over time, reducing their impact on marine ecosystems. With operators under enhanced scrutiny to be environmentally conscious, it’s likely we’ll see these biodegradable hydraulic alternatives becoming the primary choice in the years ahead.
Health and safety will become increasingly front of mind
Given the numerous hazards associated with hydraulic machinery, we’re seeing a greater emphasis towards demonstrating exemplary health and safety standards across the entire industry. Modern hydraulic systems are now engineered with safety as a top priority. From fail-safe mechanisms to real-time monitoring, hydraulic failures can be detected and mitigated before they escalate, safeguarding both workers and assets.
It’s not just innovative health and safety features in hydraulic machinery that is driving this trend, we’re also witnessing an improved attitude towards incident reporting which is driving up the number of reported machinery damage or failure incidents. Although this upwards swing might appear negative at first glance, it is in fact a positive development, pointing to a culture of having health safety front of mind for operators in this sector. At Pirtek, we are proud to go above and beyond for health and safety, so to see this attitude being applied across the marine and port industry is a big positive step forward.
Interested in learning more about how we can support your business to keep its hydraulic systems operating in pristine condition? Head over to our services page: https://www.pirtek.co.uk/services/
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