In recent years the lack of replacement actuators for larger diesel engines and, in some cases, turbines has been a growing problem for shipowners and land-based facilities. Qtagg has launched new actuator units to replace the installed base of obsolete and unsupported models that have reached end of life.

With two marine-approved replacement actuators now available ­– the ASAC 120 and ASAC 420 models – owners and operators can keep their existing large diesel engines in operation for longer, extending their lifetime by years or decades. The actuators come with different kits to facilitate easy replacement of the old models during service upgrades, with commissioning in just 1 or 2 days per engine.

COMPACT, MAINTENANCE-FREE DESIGN IDEAL FOR RETROFITTING

The high-performance actuators are designed for demanding engine-room and land-based environments with an ambient temperature up to 85°C. The motor in the actuators is brushless and the gear is life-time lubricated, making the actuators totally maintenance and service-free.

Their compact design simplifies retrofit installation, ensuring they can fit in the same space as any previous actuator. The dimensions and required cabling are compatible with the older Woodward and Heinzmann actuators, as well as actuators from ABB, Wärtsilä, Kongsberg and Nabco/Nabtesco.

“I am delighted to announce the launch of these new replacement actuators,” says Tomas Lindqvist, CEO of Qtagg. “Through our partnership with Goltens we have developed retrofit kits that ensure seamless replacement of different actuator types, including Woodward EM80 and EM300 units. The design is very reliable, based on our existing ASAC actuators that have been in the market for over 10 years with a 0% failure rate.”

Goltens CEO Sandeep Seth added: “These new actuators solve a steadily growing problem where it has become more and more difficult to find replacements for retrofitting in both ships and land-based facilities. We’re proud to be able to finally deliver an effective retrofit solution with Qtagg.”

IMPROVED ACCURACY, READY FOR DIGITAL ENGINE CONTROL

Both new replacement models provide precise control of the fuel rack and high-resolution feedback to the engine governor. They can still be used with analogue control, but most applications will use the digital solution with engine governor for propulsion or power-generation control, with on-site or remote surveillance and monitoring.

With digital engine control, even old engines and generators can be operated through sophisticated systems to optimise performance and fuel consumption.