With the aim of standardizing ship building, DNV has type approved an Integrated Navigation System (INS) for Hyundai Heavy Industries & Transas Ltd.
Imagine the following scenario: You have your drivers’ license, but every single car has different solutions for steering, breaking and gearing. Each time you get in a new vehicle you have to learn how to drive it all over again. Not even two Toyota Corollas are alike! The example might seem far-fetched and humorous, but this is exactly what has been and is the case in the shipping industry.
“Traditionally, the design and arrangement of the ships control centre has been decided by design offices, ship owners and various equipment manufacturers as they see fit. The consequence is that every bridge has its own design. The lack of standardizations results in elevated risks for human errors,” says approval engineer Olaf Gundersrud from Nautical Safety & Communication Systems in DNV Maritime.
Approached by Hyundai
“When DNV was approached by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2004 and asked to type approve an INS, DNV saw this as a great opportunity to contribute to standardization in the maritime industry,” says Olaf Gundersrud.
Based on International Maritime Organization (IMO) performance standards and drafts of international standards from International Electrotechnical Commission, DNV started the process with testing and verification.
In addition to the international maritime standards, both Hyundai & Transas also wanted a DNV certification as a Grounding Avoidance System applicable for the Nautical Safety class notation NAUT-AW. The ACEA office handled the early phase of the project while testing was conducted by personnel from Høvik.
The type approval certificate is currently the world’s one and only for an INS.