Machinery Plant Control and Monitoring Systems (MPCMSs) generate cost savings by reducing manning requirements while increasing operational awareness on your vessel or rig. M&I Electric offers custom design of these systems for vessels of all sizes, functions, and levels of operational complexity. Our portfolio includes military ships, construction and dredging vessels, passenger ferries, and numerous other working vessels. To illustrate the breadth of our capabilities, we’ve provided summaries of two recent MPCMS projects below.
USCGC MACKINAW (WLBB-30): The flagship Great Lakes Icebreaker USCGC MACKINAW operates from its home port of Cheboygan, Michigan. In addition to performing its namesake function, the complex vessel is also designed to serve as an Aids to Navigation ship, perform search and resue missions, carry out law enforcement actions, and is equipped with an oil skimming system. Despite the multitude of functions, the US Coast Guard was able to reduce the ship’s manning requirements by nearly 50% thanks to the state of the art thrust and navigation systems incorporated into the ship’s design and the 5800+ point MPCMS from M&I Electric. The MPCMS provides engineers with data to monitor each of the points in real time and allows for analysis and trending over time. M&I delivered the system turnkey, providing requirements documentation, iterative design, programming, implementation, and support as seamless services furnished under a single contract.
Staten Island Ferries: The New York Department of Transportation operates a fleet of passenger vessels that make the 25 minute, 5.2 mile voyage across New York Harbor between Manhattan and Staten Island. When the Department added three new vessels, each incorporated a custom MPCMS and CCTV system from M&I Electric. These systems support passenger safety and security, monitoring every entry point to the vessel and sending the data for monitoring and recording in a secure station on board and, optionally, a shore- based station.