When working alongside a platform or in close quarters with another vessel one of the best Position Reference Systems available to use is the Fanbeam.

Fanbeam systems are primarily used as a relative reference, to continuously monitor the range & bearing from a selected reflector.  This means that if the platform or vessel you are referencing from makes a move toward you, your vessels dynamic positioning system will compensate  & move so that the range & bearing remain constant.

MDL Laser Systems is an industry leader in Fanbeam technology & with their latest upgrades to the Control System software their product continues to get better.  The new software, which has been tested in field trials after an 18-month development programme, is part of constant evaluation and monitoring of the system with users worldwide to ensure that Fanbeam® constantly evolves ahead of competing technologies.

Some of the upgraded features include:

• Intelligent target clutter rejection
• Vertical tilt during tracking
• Fully-Automatic target filtering
• New enhanced tracking algorithm

MDL business development manager, Keith Park says: “This is an extremely exciting development which has already been widely welcomed in customer trials and we are expecting significant demand as the market becomes aware of the new capabilities.

“Customer feedback confirms that the enhanced Fanbeam® performs significantly better than the current model in a range of marine operations creating another step forward in its development.

“Additional good news is that the new software is backwards-compatible so it can be used with existing laser hardware. This makes obtaining the new control software a significantly more cost effective investment than having to acquire a totally new laser scanner.”

At use in the field

Among the first offshore operators to acquire Fanbeam with the new control software has been Norwegian support vessels company Solstad.

Norway-based Solstad Offshore ASA, which has a modern fleet of more than 40 construction, anchor handling and supply vessels, operates worldwide and has DP Class 1, 2 & 3 ships supporting the international oil and gas industries.

The company conducted extensive trials with the new control software while operating in the Muchison and Ninan oilfields and was so impressed that it decided to buy one of the first of the new systems this summer.

Solstad captain, Sigve Maelen, says that the new control software adds to the efficiency and ease-of-use of the system. He adds: “We are very happy with the new Fanbeam control software. The vertical-tilt-during-tracking facility is very useful and allows us to enhance the signals where each oil or gas platform reflector is placed differently.”

MDL, which has offices in Aberdeen, Scotland, York, England and Houston, Texas, was founded in 1983.

Further details are available at www.mdl-laser.com or, for this product, at www.fanbeam.com.