Exclusive look at simulator used to train crew powering the world's biggest cruise ship
ABB Group is a Swedish-Swiss company that is home to a high-tech simulator which is used to train up crew who go on to power some of the world’s biggest cruise ships.
The technology firm operates in the fields of electrification and automation and its site in Helsinki, Finland, is known for producing electric drives and large motors.
The company is heavily involved in the production of marine propulsion systems and in particular, its famous Azipod.
Azipod is a complete electric propulsion unit, which includes an electric motor, a pod mounted outside the ship hull, and a propeller attached directly to the motor.
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Some of the competences and technologies that are required for the Azipod propulsion also includes understanding ship physics and design, noise and underwater acoustics, as well as large electric machines and related dynamics and thermal effects.
However, that isn’t all ABB is responsible for as located within the Helsinki site is a simulator used to train crew to take control of some of the largest commercial vessels on the planet.
And while the simulator might seem like a fun video game, it’s actually a professional, high-fidelity training and testing system used by real ship crews and engineers.
This includes the likes of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which are the two biggest cruiseliners in the world.
The simulation is used to replicate real ships that are out on the open waters, real weather conditions at sea and the real navigation systems that are used onboard.
So, how is this used to train the crew of ships? Well, the teams are able to play out real-world scenarios such as harbour maneuvers, response to emergency situations, faults with the propulsion and navigating in traffic or adverse weather.
And the simulator looks real too - giving training crews an inside look into what life on the ship would be like.
Speaking about the training conducted at ABB, former training and recruitment manager, Arron Grant, previously said: “Seafarers are very honest people. They tend to say what they think, and we have yet to hear anything negative about ABB training.
“Every single response from our officers on the ABB courses has been at the level of ‘excellent’ and ‘highly recommended’.”
He continued: “Crew members typically attend training courses during their shore leave. They wouldn’t spend two weeks away from their families if they didn’t feel that the training was beneficial, and that is an extremely high standard to meet.”