Date: December 6, 2006, 10:00 hrs – 12:30 hrs

Place: World Trade Center, Dubai
            Sheikh Rashid Hall, Presentation Theatre

The panel:
Tage Blomberg, Wärtsilä Corporation, Finland (chair)           download presentation
Mahmoud Abdullah, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, Kuwait     download presentation
Axel Kettmann, ABB Turbocharging Worldwide Service, Switzerland   download presentation
Jamal Mayahi, National Iranian Tanker Co., Iran                   download presentation
Nick Topham, Reederei Blue Star, Germany                        download presentation
Otto Winkel, MAN Diesel A/S, Denmark                             download presentation

The event was well attended with about 50 participants. After the panelists' presentations a lively discussion with the audience followed.

Preventive maintenance to improve availability and to ensure a reliable, economic, and safe operation of the engines and systems under low emissions is a key issue in ships operation. Manufacturers and system suppliers are developing the products and introducing new technologies to extend time between maintenance operations, or to reduce the need for maintenance and repair. Developments of tools within the field of diagnostics, maintenance planning and management systems, and training of operators are important elements to improve the availability of engines. The focus is on "availability" and the latest development for lifecycle support systems.

This CIMAC panel session was dedicated to covering all crucial aspects of the marine engine industry and provided a superb platform for discussion, decision and announcements of excellence and partnership that the whole repair and maintenance community recognises.