VEO has won a contract to build a high-end automation system and a customised control system for Wärtsilä’s new testing facility in the Smart Technology Hub currently under construction in Vaasa. VEO’s and Wärtsilä’s long-standing partnership focusing on power plant and marine automation projects will now be extended to the heart of Wärtsilä’s engine testing. VEO’s expertise regarding the control system will open new opportunities for Wärtsilä’s clients to be able to follow engine test runs remotely.
The deal made in October 2020 marked the beginning of a significant planning, programming and engineering project for VEO, which is equivalent to 4–5 person-years. This means weekly meetings with Wärtsilä until the automation and control system is commissioned during the autumn 2021. The project will be handed over in the spring 2022. In addition to the automation and control system for running and monitoring test processes, the project will include the integration of all electrical systems as well as VEO’s user-friendly HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) to at least five test cells.
“Our decision to choose VEO had much to do with VEO’s experience regarding the control system and its new features. The flexible remote FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) system with a fully integrated camera system in the HMI, as well as a customised dashboard for testing, will provide considerable benefits for our clients. In addition to receiving normal engine and plant reports, our clients will be able to actively attend tests remotely, record test events and communicate with us. Testing this concept already now during the Corona pandemic has provided major benefits to our customers globally and will continue to do so under normal times as well,” says Juha Päivike, Smart Technology Hub Program Director at Wärtsilä Finland.
“This will for example make it easier for clients in a different time zone to benefit from the tests. It will also be easier to make custom views according to the user preference,” adds Engineering Manager Mats Warg from VEO.
Product development
Paying attention to user perspectives and customer experience is important at Wärtsilä also internally. VEO’s modern HMI layout for the automation and control system will be implemented even more widely in product development at the Wärtsilä’s Smart Technology Hub.
“The recordings allow our product development team to revisit test events as many times as needed to study and analyse the different test phases, ”says Juha Päivike.
Energy-efficient testing
The new automation system for test cells will also enable more energy-efficient testing.
“VEO’s automation system allows us to test even more powerful engines in an energy-efficient manner – all energy released and produced will be fed to the grid for consumer use as well as for the Smart Technology Hub’s properties,” explains Juha Päivike.
Experience and commitment
Mats Warg believes that one of the reasons to explain VEO’s ability to meet Wärtsilä’s needs is the fact that VEO is a local partner that has been cooperating with Wärtsilä for over 30 years.
“When we build a system, we also commit ourselves to maintaining it. It is practical for Wärtsilä to have technical support nearby when needed,” says Mats Warg.
More information
Mats Warg, Engineering Manager, VEO Oy, mats.warg@veo.fi, tel. +358 400 167 127
Juha Päivike, Smart Technology Hub Program Director, Wärtsilä Finland Oy, juha.paivike@wartsila.com, tel. +358 40 735 2323
