airplane_kraftpowercon-2

Airplane_kraftPowercon-2

Welcome to our booth at SUR/FIN Detroit, MI!

<p>A smooth, consistent finish relies on a smooth, consistent supply.<br />
Discover quality metal finishing with KraftPowercon.</p>
<p>Want to learn about unconsidered insights to achieve optimal plating quality?<br />
Please visit us at <strong>SUR/FIN, booth 235, Hall B  </strong></p>


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SURFIN_2019

High Current Rectifiers

More news and insights

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Kraftpowercon-DCT

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public health and disrupted the global economy in unprecedented ways. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the maritime industry has struggled with a plethora of challenges spanning from soaring container freight rates and shipyard lockdowns to shortages of materials and components. To gain insight into the challenges our marine team has faced during this past year and a half, and what measures we have taken to overcome them, we talked to our Business Unit Director Tommy Rochhausen and Sales Coordinator Robert Beach.

<p><strong>The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public health and disrupted the global economy in unprecedented ways. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the maritime industry has struggled with a plethora of challenges spanning from soaring container freight rates and shipyard lockdowns to shortages of materials and components. To gain insight into the challenges our marine team has faced during this past year and a half, and what measures we have taken to overcome them, we talked to our Business Unit Director Tommy Rochhausen and Sales Coordinator Robert Beach.</strong></p>


<p>With an entire industry racing against the clock to become compliant with the D-2 standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention, the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time. As the pandemic swept across nations and continents, many retrofitting procedures had to be put on halt as shipyards across the globe went into lockdown.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“When the pandemic started in the spring of 2020, shipyards around the world went into lockdown, delaying planned BWMS installations. This affected system manufacturers, which in turn affected us as a component supplier. We had to postpone many of our planned rectifier deliveries as few system installations could be carried out,”</em>&nbsp;said Tommy.</p></blockquote>
<p>When the shipyard lockdowns started, several customers put their rectifier orders on hold – forcing KraftPowercon’s marine team to downsize its production capacity.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“At that point in time, we were forced to downsize our production and implement a government-issued short-time furlough since many of our customers put their orders on hold. But things turned around eventually when the shipyards started opening again. Now the situation is the opposite – we have had to scale up to double shifts to make up for lost time and catch up in production,”</em>&nbsp;said Tommy.
</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>“Our customers have ramped up their production again, so they are very eager to receive shipments from us, but due to material shortages on both raw materials and individual components, we have struggled to keep up with the demand. This has disrupted the flow in our deliveries and forced us to become even more flexible in our production planning,”</em> Robert adds. </p></blockquote>
<p>Transitioning from the lockdowns to a new situation where orders have started picking up again has tested the marine team’s capacity to scale back up. Especially in a time where certain materials and components are hard to come by. But thanks to good production planning, clever logistical solutions, and close collaboration with customers, crucial orders and deliveries have been able to flow during the entire pandemic. </p>
<blockquote><p><em>“Even though we have struggled to get a hold of certain materials and components, our production team has been able to maintain a good flow in our deliveries thanks to a close dialogue with our customers and suppliers. By planning ahead and being flexible, we have managed to re-plan certain high-volume orders and delivered the most crucial components that our customers need,”</em>&nbsp;said Tommy.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>“By thoroughly planning our outbound logistics together with our customers, we have managed to allow for additional time in production to receive materials from our suppliers. This way, we have gotten extra days in production to complete crucial orders without any significant delay in delivery time to our customers,”</em>&nbsp;Robert adds.</p></blockquote>


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Support-1

<p>Making sure production is stable and securing timely deliveries has been a challenge during the pandemic. On the opposite side of the spectrum, existing customers are awaiting regular maintenance of already installed rectifiers. Thanks to the marine team’s global service network, these errands have been taken care of with the help of local service engineers and remote support.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“Due to international travel bans and local restrictions, we haven’t been able to dispatch our service engineers to the same extent as before. Luckily, we have a global support network with service hubs on all continents, which has enabled us to go onboard vessels to perform maintenance in some cases,”</em>&nbsp;said Tommy.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><em>“Even if we in many cases have had the local resources to provide service on-site, local restrictions have prevented us to board vessels. In these cases, we have been able to provide service through our remote support,”</em>&nbsp;Robert adds.</p></blockquote>
<p>Despite all the obstacles and challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has imposed on the marine team’s operation, Tommy and Robert are optimistic about the future – estimating that the marine team’s operational capacity will be back in full in the coming months.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“Our prognosis is that our production will be back on par to what it was prior to the pandemic sometime in November. As for after-market, we can’t be certain when things will be back to normal as travel restrictions are still enforced in certain parts of the world. Regardless of what happens, we will do everything we can to help our industry and customers reach the deadline of the BWM Convention,”</em>&nbsp;Tommy says.</p></blockquote>


Marine

See all News and Insights

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H4SC1DBY-dh-news-6

KraftPowercon recently entered the Green Transition Alliance (GTA) together with 12 other Swedish companies committed to supporting South Korea’s journey of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In light of this, we decided to talk to our Asian Sales Director Duckhyun Yun (DH) to get a deeper insight into our operations in Asia, how the GTA will influence the marine industry in South Korea, and the purpose of our involvement. 

dh-news

DH-News

<p><strong>KraftPowercon recently entered the Green Transition Alliance (GTA) together with 12 other Swedish companies committed to supporting South Korea’s journey of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. In light of this, we decided to talk to our Asian Sales Director Duckhyun Yun (DH) to get a deeper insight into our operations in Asia, how the GTA will influence the marine industry in South Korea, and the purpose of our involvement. </strong></p>
<h4 class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"><strong>Hi DH! Could you start by describing what you do at our South Korean</strong> <strong>office?</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Sure! I am the acting Asian Sales Director of KraftPowercon Korea, which means I oversee all sales and marketing-related matters in the Asian region. I joined KraftPowercon Korea in 2018 when the office was first established. Since then, I have been working hard to promote our innovative power solution to various industries in South Korea.</p>
<h4 class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"> <strong>Why is it important for KraftPowercon Marine to have a local presence in Asia?</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">In the marine industry, it is crucial to ensure high availability and stable operations. This is especially true for ballast water management systems, as they are responsible for performing vital ballasting procedures under the laws and regulations in place. A system failure or breakdown could have a severe negative impact on a shipowner’s business, both from a financial and environmental standpoint. To be able to respond swiftly to our customers’ service needs, KraftPowercon Marine has a global service network in place and a local presence in Asia, as many of our customers and partners are based here.</p>
<h4 class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"><strong>And why do we have an office in South Korea specifically?</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">South Korea is a global shipbuilding powerhouse – many shipyards and major ballast water management manufacturers are based here. To be close to our industry partners and customers, we have a service center and a marine spare part hub in Ulsan. Thanks to our local presence, we can respond to any emergency service request related to our power supplies. We can also ensure the operational capacity and minimize downtime of ships passing through the region, would they need our assistance. Having a global presence significantly improves our response time, which is paramount as we have a global customer base.</p>
<h4 class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"><strong>KraftPowercon recently joined the Green Transition Alliance. Could you</strong> <strong>tell us more about our involvement in the initiative?</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">KraftPowercon is one of the founding members of the KOR-SWE Green Transition Alliance, which is an initiative led jointly by the Swedish Embassy, Business Sweden, and 13 prominent industry companies from Sweden. The purpose of the initiative is to promote the sustainable development of South Korea’s industry and ultimately to support the country’s ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. By joining forces with Swedish companies active in South Korea, our goal is to find synergies and lay a foundation for the cooperative development of industries in both Sweden and South Korea.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">For KraftPowercon, joining the initiative was a given. Our products and solutions are used in a broad spectrum of industries essential to sustainable development and environmental conservation; green hydrogen, air pollutant reduction, and marine environment protection to name a few. It was only natural for us to join the initiative as we can help promote technological innovation and sustainable development in these industries.</p>
<h4 class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"><strong>How can we contribute to the goals of the Green Transition Alliance from a marine perspective? Both short and long-term?</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">KraftPowercon is a company with leading experience and innovative technology within the field of ballast water management. Our ambition is to actively communicate with the domestic marine industry and help to promote the technological and environmental competitiveness of the South Korean marine industry. Furthermore, to achieve growth in line with the UN SDGs.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">In the short term, we hope to expand our market share by promoting our proven and innovative marine power solution to customers and key stakeholders through various activities together with the alliance. Long-term, we hope to grow as a total power solution company and to work alongside more industry partners within the South Korean marine industry. Our ambition is to keep powering efficient ballasting while at the same time protecting vital marine ecosystems around the world. With new local partnerships, we hope to take action, co-create and raise ambitions with the shared goal of transitioning South Korea to a green role model on the world stage.</p>


Marine Rectifiers

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airwatercooling-kpmarine

Like any powerful piece of hardware, the rectifier generates heat when in operation and needs to be properly cooled to achieve maximum performance. But what is the best way to keep your rectifier running at an ideal temperature? Most rectifiers today are either water-cooled or air-cooled – which naturally begs the question if one cooling solution is better than the other. In this article, we have broken down the pros and cons of each solution to give you a better idea of which option might be best for you.

air vs water cooling - kpmarine

<h3>AIR-COOLED RECTIFIER – PROS AND CONS</h3>
<h4>PROS</h4>
<p>It works almost everywhere as long as you have sufficient airflow in the space you are placing the rectifier in.</p>
<p>It is easier to install as it does not have to be connected to the ship’s existing water-cooling system.</p>
<p>As there is no water in the appliance, an air-cooled rectifier does not run the risk of freezing if the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius in the space it is placed in.</p>
<p>No risk for condensation inside the appliance as no cold water is run through a heat sink. (In a water-cooled rectifier, the humidity in the air can cause condensation on the heat sink, which can lead to water leaking into the hardware.)</p>
<h4>CONS</h4>
<p>Air is not as efficient in transporting heat as water. Hence, to properly cool the rectifier, the airflow needs to be high. Especially if the ambient temperature is high. If the ambient temperature increases out of the specification – i.e., gets too high – the rectifier might stop due to overheating.</p>
<p>Bad air quality can have a negative impact on the performance of the rectifier and might result in the inlet air filter having to be changed more frequently. If the air quality is very poor, it can even cause the rectifier to break down.</p>
<h3>WATER-COOLED RECTIFIER – PROS AND CONS</h3>
<h4>PROS</h4>
<p>Water-cooling is a more efficient cooling method since the thermal resistance is much lower between the heat sink and water tubes as opposed to the heat sink and forced air.</p>
<p>Water has a much higher energy density compared to air hence less volume is needed.</p>
<p>Cooling power is solely dependent on water temperature and water flow, which means that even if the ambient temperature around the rectifier is very high, the rectifier can still operate as normal.</p>
<h4>CONS</h4>
<p>Availability of cooling water circuit needed.</p>
<p>Water-cooled rectifiers run a risk of freezing if placed in a space where the temperature can fall below zero degrees Celsius.</p>
<p>Obvious risk for condensation issues if the heat sink in the rectifier is colder than the ambient temperature.</p>
<p>To avoid risk of freezing damage as well as condensation issues it is absolutely necessary to control the water flow. Let the water flow in case of risk for freezing damages and stop the flow in case of risk for condensation issues.</p>
<p>Since the LT system sometimes contains sediment that might clog the water tubes, a strainer might be needed, which must be cleaned regularly.</p>
<h4>CONCLUSION</h4>
<p>Regardless of whether you choose an air-cooled or a water-cooled rectifier, the environmental requirements for the rectifier’s performance are the same. They operate in the same environment and feed the same load. The only difference is that the heat generated inside the rectifier is removed by using either forced air or water as cooling media.</p>
<p>Making sure your rectifier has a modular design is also crucial, as it ensures easy troubleshooting and maintenance if anything were to go wrong. From an operational perspective, this is especially important. Because if one module malfunctions or breaks down, the remaining modules will compensate for the output lost from the malfunctioned component. If this were to occur, the rectifier will keep operating – albeit at a reduced capacity – thanks to the remaining modules’ built-in redundancy. This is of great help when troubleshooting the system. But more importantly: it is of great value for the ballast water management system owner, as they can continue to load and unload their cargo.</p>


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The deadline at which shipowners around the world need to fit their vessels with compliant ballast water management systems (BWMS) is rapidly approaching. By September 2024, all vessels traveling international waters must carry out ballast water management procedures in accordance with the D-2 standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention. In light of this, we decided to talk to the figurehead of one of the leading ballast water management consultancies worldwide – Jad Mouawad of Mouawad Consulting – to get his thoughts on what measures shipowners need to take for a successful BWMS retrofit.

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Jad-kp-web

<h5 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>The deadline at which shipowners around the world need to fit their vessels with compliant ballast water management systems (BWMS) is rapidly approaching. By September 2024, all vessels traveling international waters must carry out ballast water management procedures in accordance with the D-2 standard of the Ballast Water Management Convention. In light of this, we decided to talk to the figurehead of one of the leading ballast water management consultancies worldwide – Jad Mouawad of Mouawad Consulting – to get his thoughts on what measures shipowners need to take for a successful BWMS retrofit.</strong></h5>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Jad started Mouawad Consulting in 2013 after seven years as a Ballast Water Management Expert at DNV. Since starting his consultancy, it has become recognized internationally as the professional, technical and independent organization that can be relied on in all matters related to ballast water management.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“I started working with approval and certification of BWMS around three years after the BWM Convention was adopted in 2004. Back then, the Convention was fairly unknown to most people, and I had to deal with everything from type approvals and the development of rules and regulations very early on. Principally, I do the same work now as I did when I was at DNV, but as a consultant.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">It wasn’t until 13 years later, on September 8, 2017, that the BWM Convention officially entered into force. Since then, the maritime industry has been forced to adjust its course towards becoming compliant with a new, global standard. A monumental task, if you ask Jad.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“My perception is that the ones who drafted the Convention didn’t envision the colossal impact it would have on the industry. Retrofitting the equipment of a global fleet is a massive undertaking. It requires a lot of planning and man-hours. And the equipment needed is not cheap, so there is a lot of money involved. Luckily, this is also a good thing, as several manufacturers started developing good equipment. If the market demand was low, no one would have bothered. At the same time, it has become a burden on shipowners having to invest in new systems and equipment they previously did not need.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">With an industry scrambling to become compliant with new regulations, the demand for BWMS has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Given the timeframe, we are currently in the midst of a massive retrofit surge predicted to peak in 2022. Consequently, this has put immense pressure on system manufacturers to keep up with the demand.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“Availability of equipment is key if we want to avoid costly standstills and bottlenecks. This does not only go for BWMS equipment but things such as flanges, valves, pipes, and cables – regular equipment needed in ships. These parts are important to have before a vessel is docked at the shipyard ready to undergo a retrofit.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>Retrofitting a BWMS is a complex process that requires careful planning. Therefore, we asked Jad to outline the retrofit journey from beginning to end to shed light on what measures shipowners need to take, and what pitfalls to avoid.</strong></p>


<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>JAD’S FIVE-STEP GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL RETROFIT  </strong></h3>
<h4 class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>1. DO A THOROUGH MARKET ANALYSIS</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">The process of retrofitting a BWMS to an existing vessel consists of more than simply choosing a system. According to Jad, identifying the limitations and analyzing the conditions on board the vessel should be the natural starting point for anyone looking to carry out a successful retrofit project.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“The biggest mistake I see shipowners make is buying a system before analyzing the conditions on board. This will only come back to haunt you in the long run. Instead, work systematically and do a thorough market analysis to see which components perfectly match your vessel. You can do this yourself if you do not want to hire a consultant. Of course, if you want an elaborate analysis, I recommend hiring a consultant. This will help you avoid unnecessary operational problems in the end.”</p>
<h4 class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>2. MAKE A SHORTLIST OF SUITABLE BWMS</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to BWMS. But with a proper market analysis as a foundation, you can rest assured you will find the equipment, components, and system perfectly suitable for your needs.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“There are many parameters to take into account before actually choosing a system or technology for your vessel. Things such as pump capacity, ballast water flow, available space, and water characteristics are important factors to consider before settling on a specific system. If you have done your market analysis properly, you can easily make a shortlist of around two to three systems that are ideal for your vessel. Then, you can proceed with finding a system manufacturer that can deliver on the requirements you have.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Additionally, price and quality are two important factors for shipowners planning a retrofit. But focusing too much on the cost issue is a major mistake if you ask Jad. Especially if you plan on buying cheap equipment from unknown manufacturers.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“As shipowners narrow down their system options, they naturally start looking at the price tag for the equipment. And I get it: nobody wants to pay more than what they have to. But if you plan on buying cheap equipment from a manufacturer that no one else in the industry is buying from, you are setting yourself up for failure. It will probably break down, it will be impossible to fix, and you won’t get the support and help you need. Instead, look for a combination of reasonable price and quality – there are plenty of good options to choose from in the middle.”</p>
<h4 class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>3. PLANNING THE INSTALLATION</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">When the theoretical legwork is done, it is time to hire Marine Engineers to go on board your vessel and plan the practical installation of the BWMS. This process is crucial as it outlines where all the system equipment needs to be installed.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“When we reach this step of the process, we go on board the ship as Marine Engineers and not as 3D scanners. Sure, we bring 3D scanners – which in reality is just an elaborate camera – to create a three-dimensional rendering of the surface and space inside the vessel. But we also talk to the crew to learn more about how the ship operates and what the conditions on board are like. After that, we head back to the office and make a 3D rendition of the system with the help of our scan. When this work is done, we send a detailed report to the shipowner and crew who get to review our proposition before we transition to the next step.”</p>
<h4 class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>4. DESIGN ENGINEERING PHASE</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">The design engineering phase is a meticulous process where Jad and his team specifies which system components are needed to assemble the final BWMS. This is summarized in drawings that get sent over to classification societies for final approval.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“In this phase, we start looking at things such as which pipes, flanges, bolts and cables we need to assemble the final system. When this is done, we send over the final drawings to the classification societies for approval. If the drawings are approved, we create a technical specification detailing everything that the retrofit includes. We send this specification to the shipowner who goes to the shipyard and asks for a price to do the retrofit work. Then, finally, we start putting the system together.”</p>
<h4 class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>5. INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING</strong></h4>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">After the preparation phase is done and all technical specifications have been approved by classification societies, it is time to move on to the most critical phase of the retrofit project: installation and commissioning of the system. This is when things finally start coming to fruition.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“Even though we have planned everything very thoroughly in theory, you always encounter obstacles when applying the plan in reality. Adjustments need to be made, more materials need to be bought, and so forth. And we do not want the shipyard to make these adjustments as they tend to go for the easiest options. And usually, this will not result in a good retrofit in the end. That is why we always make sure to have a representative from either us, the shipowner, or the BWMS manufacturer onsite to ensure that the installation is done properly.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Once the installation is complete, it is time to commission the BWMS. This is the final stage of the retrofit project and involves testing every single function of the system to make sure all components work.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">“Commissioning the whole system usually takes three to four days. Again, we have representatives from the BWMS manufacturer onsite to ensure all tests are done by the book. When the commissioning is done, we teach the crew how to operate the system.”</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>Jad has certified an extensive amount of BWMS while working as responsible for Ballast Water Management at DNV. He has also been involved in over 200 vessel projects throughout his career, where he and his team has provided consultancy services on all matters related to ballast water management. Learn more about the services Mouawad Consulting provides at </strong><a href="http://www.bwm.no/"><strong>www.bwm.no</strong></a></p>


Aftersales & Service are natural parts of our day-to-day work, as it ensures our customers’ operational capacity throughout our products’ entire life cycle. That is why we keep track of our installations and offer rapid and efficient support if our customers find themselves in a situation where they need it.

<h3>Three reasons why a rectifier from KraftPowercon is a good choice</h3>
<p>Aftersales &amp; Service are natural parts of our day-to-day work, as it ensures our customers’ operational capacity throughout our products’ entire life cycle. That is why we keep track of our installations and offer rapid and efficient support if our customers find themselves in a situation where they need it.</p>
<p>Ballast water management systems are complex systems that require technical expertise and know-how to maintain. They are also comprised of several different parts that need to work faultlessly under any circumstance. This is especially true for the rectifier, which supplies the electrochlorination cell – the component responsible for treating the ballast water – with power. If the rectifier for some reason stops working, so does the entire ballast water treatment system. And with no power, there’s no ballasting.</p>
<p>When you are out at sea, and there is no repair shop around the corner, you can rest assured you have made a wise choice equipping your ballast water management system with a rectifier from KraftPowercon. But don’t just take our word for it, here are three concrete reasons why:</p>


image

Image

<h3>1. Our rectifiers are high-performing and reliable</h3>
<p>The high reliability of our systems gives you a number of distinct advantages. The low power consumption means a small footprint as well as low operating and maintenance costs. The latter is further fueled by the modular design of our rectifiers. They are designed to improve uptime, and should maintenance be required you can run your system on reduced power, preventing costly standstills and downtime. Putting it all together, our power supply significantly improves your business by helping you to a safe, speedy and efficient ballast water management.</p>


image1

Image1

<h3>2. We keep track of our installations</h3>
<p>Keeping track of our rectifier installations enables us to provide our customers with the best Aftersales &amp; Service possible. This is especially important since our installed base is ever-increasing, meaning more ships around the world are becoming fitted with KraftPowercon rectifiers. With the tools we have at our disposal, we can overlook and monitor all our installed equipment – enabling us to act proactively and efficiently if a situation occurs that demands our immediate attention.</p>
<p>For example, by just receiving the system identity, vessel name, or IMO number, we can often initiate a service job without having the entire scope clear. This enables us to allocate the right resources and provide suitable support/service in a very efficient manner.</p>


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Image2

<h3>3. We offer world-class aftersales and global support</h3>
<p>We have an overriding idea when it comes to aftersales: We are here to improve the availability of your operations. Our global support network is always on standby, ready to help regardless of where you are in the world. Depending on your service request, we will allocate the right local resources to assist you in the most efficient and suitable manner. All aftersales related requests are handled by our remote support, which is reachable by phone, e-mail, or through our social media channels.</p>
<p>Our support team consists of experienced field service engineers that can assist you with all our products – ready and able to go on board on any mission assigned to KraftPowercon by our customers. This includes everything from urgent or planned service, upgrades to assisting on commissioning and consulting assistance.</p>
<p>Furthermore, our global network of spare part hubs ensures that you always have quick and close access to genuine spare parts that meet the most frequent and urgent needs. We also have a wide range of customized spare part kits to carry on board vessels – all manufactured and designed to meet customers’ and vessels’ uptime guarantee requirements. The kits are adapted and tailored to the unique rectifier solution on board.</p>


THREE REASONS WHY A RECTIFIER FROM KRAFTPOWERCON IS A GOOD CHOICE
Aftersales & Service are natural parts of our day-to-day work, as it ensures our customers’ operational capacity throughout our products’ entire life cycle. That is why we keep track of our installations and offer rapid and efficient support if our customers find themselves in a situation where they need it.

Ballast water management systems are complex systems that require technical expertise and know-how to maintain. They are also comprised of several different parts that need to work faultlessly under any circumstance. This is especially true for the rectifier, which supplies the electrochlorination cell – the component responsible for treating the ballast water – with power. If the rectifier for some reason stops working, so does the entire ballast water treatment system. And with no power, there’s no ballasting. 

When you are out at sea, and there is no repair shop around the corner, you can rest assured you have made a wise choice equipping your ballast water management system with a rectifier from KraftPowercon. But don’t just take our word for it, here are three concrete reasons why:

<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>THREE REASONS WHY A RECTIFIER FROM KRAFTPOWERCON IS A GOOD CHOICE</strong></h3>
<p class="sqsrte-large preFade fadeIn"><strong>Aftersales &amp; Service are natural parts of our day-to-day work, as it ensures our customers’ operational capacity throughout our products’ entire life cycle. That is why we keep track of our installations and offer rapid and efficient support if our customers find themselves in a situation where they need it.</strong></p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Ballast water management systems are complex systems that require technical expertise and know-how to maintain. They are also comprised of several different parts that need to work faultlessly under any circumstance. This is especially true for the rectifier, which supplies the electrochlorination cell – the component responsible for treating the ballast water – with power. If the rectifier for some reason stops working, so does the entire ballast water treatment system. And with no power, there’s no ballasting.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">When you are out at sea, and there is no repair shop around the corner, you can rest assured you have made a wise choice equipping your ballast water management system with a rectifier from KraftPowercon. But don’t just take our word for it, here are three concrete reasons why:</p>


cargo-ship-over-sea-with-sunrsie

cargo ship over sea with sunrsie

<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>1. OUR RECTIFIERS ARE HIGH-PERFORMING AND RELIABLE</strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">The high reliability of our systems gives you a number of distinct advantages. The low power consumption means a small footprint as well as low operating and maintenance costs. The latter is further fueled by the modular design of our rectifiers. They are designed to improve uptime, and should maintenance be required you can run your system on reduced power, preventing costly standstills and downtime. Putting it all together, our power supply significantly improves your business by helping you to a safe, speedy and efficient ballast water management.</p>


we-log-all-installations

We-log-all-installations

<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>2. WE KEEP TRACK OF OUR INSTALLATIONS</strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Keeping track of our rectifier installations enables us to provide our customers with the best Aftersales &amp; Service possible. This is especially important since our installed base is ever-increasing, meaning more ships around the world are becoming fitted with KraftPowercon rectifiers. With the tools we have at our disposal, we can overlook and monitor all our installed equipment – enabling us to act proactively and efficiently if a situation occurs that demands our immediate attention.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">For example, by just receiving the system identity, vessel name, or IMO number, we can often initiate a service job without having the entire scope clear. This enables us to allocate the right resources and provide suitable support/service in a very efficient manner.</p>


businesswoman-having-a-conference-call-with-headset

Businesswoman having a conference call with headset

<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>3. WE OFFER WORLD-CLASS AFTERSALES AND GLOBAL SUPPORT</strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">We have an overriding idea when it comes to aftersales: We are here to improve the availability of your operations. Our global support network is always on standby, ready to help regardless of where you are in the world. Depending on your service request, we will allocate the right local resources to assist you in the most efficient and suitable manner. All aftersales related requests are handled by our remote support, which is reachable by phone, e-mail, or through our social media channels.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Our support team consists of experienced field service engineers that can assist you with all our products – ready and able to go on board on any mission assigned to KraftPowercon by our customers. This includes everything from urgent or planned service, upgrades to assisting on commissioning and consulting assistance.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Furthermore, our global network of spare part hubs ensures that you always have quick and close access to genuine spare parts that meet the most frequent and urgent needs. We also have a wide range of customized spare part kits to carry on board vessels – all manufactured and designed to meet customers’ and vessels’ uptime guarantee requirements. The kits are adapted and tailored to the unique rectifier solution on board.</p>


Electrochlorination (EC) systems make up nearly half of all active ballast water management systems on the global market today – and for good reason. They are efficient at treating large volumes of water, their power consumption is low, and they usually have no hold times since they treat the water directly at uptake. But did you know that there are two types of EC systems? That’s right, you can either choose a side-stream system or a full-flow system. While both systems leverage the same chemical treatment method, the practical treatment process differs between them. So, what is really the difference between them? Let’s compare the two to give you a better idea!

<h5 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>Electrochlorination (EC) systems make up nearly half of all active ballast water management systems on the global market today – and for good reason. They are efficient at treating large volumes of water, their power consumption is low, and they usually have no hold times since they treat the water directly at uptake. But did you know that there are two types of EC systems? That’s right, you can either choose a side-stream system or a full-flow system. While both systems leverage the same chemical treatment method, the practical treatment process differs between them. So, what is really the difference between them? Let’s compare the two to give you a better idea!</strong></h5>


<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>SAME TREATMENT METHOD – DIFFERENT PROCESSES</strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">A full-flow system treats the ballast water at uptake by pumping it through the initial filter and the electrochlorination cell, where water molecules and salt in the seawater decompose into sodium hypochlorite. This is the active ingredient that disinfects the ballast water and kills microorganisms that have passed the filter. Once the water has passed through the cell, the ballast water tanks are filled with the treated water.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">In a side-stream system, this process looks slightly different. Instead of pumping the entire water flow through the electrochlorination cell, a small percentage of water is separated from the total flow – typically after passing the initial filter – and treated in the cell. Once this smaller volume of water has been treated, it is re-injected to the total ballast water flow to disinfect the remainder of the ballast water.</p>
<p>Animation showcasing ballast water flowing through a side-stream system.</p>


<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>WATER SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS</strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">The smaller volume of ballast water separated in the side-stream system often requires a temperature of around 5–15°C before entering the electrochlorination cell. This is due to the chemical process taking place in the cell. Chemical reactions usually occur easier in higher temperatures, so if the water is cold, it becomes harder to decompose water and salt molecules. This reaction is needed to produce the active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite. To ensure the water temperature is high enough for the chemical reaction to take place, it usually passes through a heater before entering the cell. Apart from having the right temperature, the water also needs to have enough salinity in order to support the chemical reaction in the cell. A Practical Salinity Unit (PSU) of around 5–15 is the general range required for most systems.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">In a full-flow system, the ballast water can both have a lower temperature and salinity, as the cell produces a concentration of sodium hypochlorite proportionate to the total water flow. This, however, is not the case in the side-stream system, as only a small portion of water has to produce a significantly higher concentration of the active ingredient.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn"><strong>Keep in mind that both side-stream and full-flow systems are dependent on the salt in the seawater to work. If your vessel operates in or enters a port with fresh water, your system might not work unless seawater is brought in a separate tank from where the active ingredient can be produced.</strong></p>
<p>Animation showcasing ballast water flowing through a full-flow system.</p>


<h3 class="preSlide slideIn"><strong>WHEN SHOULD I CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER? </strong></h3>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to ballast water management systems. In terms of whether or not you should go for a side-stream or a full-flow system, one of the main things you will have to consider is the ballast water flow you treat on a regular basis. If your ballast water flow is high, it will be harder to run all of it through one single electrochlorination cell in a full-flow system. Therefore, you might have to run several cells in parallel. For one, this requires a lot of free space and secondly, it isn’t very cost-effective. In this situation, you might be better off with a side-stream system, as they require less space and treat only a small portion of your total ballast water flow.</p>
<p class="preFade fadeIn">With that said, many parameters dictate whether a specific system is suitable for your needs or not. Apart from your ballast water flow, you have to take into consideration factors such as the size of your vessel, the water characteristics in which you operate, and your budget. We always recommend that you do thorough research before picking a system. Help from an expert can be a worthwhile investment as it will help you find the best possible solution for your specific needs.</p>


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<p><strong>Are you tired of looking for document and papers?</strong> Do you want a smooth and available solution of the problem?</p>
<p>With our customer portal you will be able to get digital access of FAQ, check points for annual maintenance, manuals, and document for your specific system, whenever you want, wherever you are.</p>
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<p>Get started by scanning the QR code which is placed on your system. After that you can easily create an account.</p>
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Visit us at 16th European Lead Battery Conference and Exhibition 

<p>Visit us at <a href="https://16elbc.ila-lead.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16th European Lead Battery Conference and Exhibition</a> The exhibition will be held in Vienna, Austria 4 – 7 September 2018 at the Messe Wien Exhibition &amp; Congress Center (Messeplatz 1). You&#8217;ll find us at booth number 94</p>


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Same, but different – a comparison between the side-stream and full-flow system