ENGINEER TO ENGINEER
Gregory Distribution
introduces Freeway
mobile devices
Gregory Distribution has equipped its eet
engineers with mobile devices to replace a
signi cant amount of paperwork in workshops.
The move, which has been introduced at
ve sites across the UK, is part of a group wide
eet management system from Freeway Fleet
Systems, providing real time, 24/7 information
for centralised management, including
compliance, purchasing and business analytics.
Freeway’s software is already used
across Gregory by up to 100 people; many
simply access the system to view vehicle
documentation but around 20 administrators
and managers use Freeway throughout the
day to access data relating to the eet. By
introducing mobile working in the workshops,
Freeway has been extended to incorporate
live information from maintenance operations
company-wide (see also feature, pp76-77).
Freeway’s mobile application is being used
on rugged tablets by Gregory’s tters to replace
paper inspection forms, time-sheets and jobcards.
The job-cards provide a wrapper holding
all data on work done, whether internally or
externally. Through the tablets, the company’s
50 tters also have access to historic data.
Forum ROV successfully
completes harbour trials
for Vietnam Navy
Sparrows
programme
supports ASRY
Sparrows Group has completed
its fi rst project for ASRY (Arab
Shipbuilding & Repair Yard),
delivering crane condition
evaluation services at the multiservice
facility in Bahrain.
As part of ASRY’s extensive
modernisation programme,
Sparrows carried out non-intrusive
inspection of its 16 rail, crawler and
fl oating cranes throughout April
and May this year.
The scope of work involved
detailed visual inspection of
structural components, wire
ropes and hook blocks, as well as
functional checks on safety limits
and calibrations for the rated
capacity indicator.
Sparrows will now provide ASRY
with a report of recommendations.
Stewart Mitchell, chief executive
offi cer at Sparrows, says: “ASRY is a
well-known and respected name in
the Middle East so we’re delighted
to have worked on this project and
hope to develop the relationship
further.
“Diversifi cation into new
industries is a key part of our
growth strategy and this work
demonstrates how we can
seamlessly transfer our expertise
and capability to the marine and
industrial sectors. The Middle East
is an important region for us and
having a local presence in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enabled
us to support ASRY in Bahrain
even during these challenging
conditions.”
Forum Energy Technologies’ remotely
operated vehicle (ROV), the Perry XLX-C,
has successfully completed harbour trials in
Vietnam.
Working with its customer Submarine
Manufacturing & Products (SMP) and the
Vietnam Navy, the harbour trials followed an
extensive commissioning period and factory
acceptance test which took place at Forum’s
test tank in Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire, UK.
The XLX-C ROV, which has a depth rating
of 4,000m and a range of ancillary equipment,
including cameras, lights, altimeters and
sonars, was designed, manufactured and
tested on the same site. It will be used to
support the Vietnamese’ submarine rescue
vehicle in its operations during assessment and
preparation of a site for a submersible rescue.
The XLX-C is tted with Forum’s latest
technology and
can deliver
specialised
equipment,
including an
Emergency Life
Support System,
to a distressed
submarine. It is also
coupled with a Forum
Dynacon Launch and
Recovery System (LARS) manufactured in the
United States.
The Houston team also supplied a VMAX
ROV training simulator as a training aid for the
ROV pilots, while a VisualSoft, four Channel
VisualDVR, system (a multichannel digital video
recorder) was supplied by Forum’s VisualSoft
team in Aberdeen, UK.
82 www.operationsengineer.org.uk Autumn 2020
/www.operationsengineer.org.uk