MV Maersk Seville, a 8500 TEU container vessel managed by Reederei Blue Star GmbH, had experienced previous costly scuffing incidents on its engines. The company installed Shell ANALEXAlert, a portable device to monitor ferrous content in cylinder drain oil, allowing for early detection and prevention of further damage. When signs of scuffing were found early through oil analysis, repairs to piston rings avoided an estimated $50,000 cost of replacing cylinder liners.

1. MV Maersk Seville, an 8500 TEU container vessel managed
by a Hamburg-based operator Reederei Blue Star GmbH,
has been plying the north-western Europe to Far East route
for several years. The vessel had experienced minor scuffing
incidents in the past, some of which grew to result in costly
repairs and downtime.
The company decided to use Shell ANALEXAlert, an
onboard portable early-warning device to monitor the
amount of ferrous content in the main engine’s cylinder drain
oil. As a result, early corrective action could be immediately
taken, reducing the likelihood of unscheduled downtime,
saving the company an estimated $50,000*.
* The estimated $50,000 saving can be attributed to the cost of a new cylinder liner. As a cylinder liner change
was avoided in this case, the estimated cost savings were agreed to by Reederei Blue Star and Shell Marine
Products. This is a onetime cost saving.
Early-stage detection of engine wear saved
this customer an estimated US$50,000*
Shell Marine Products
“With the use of Shell ANALEXAlert
and the structured monitoring
system suggested by the experts
at Shell Marine Products, we were
able to avert a major liner failure
caused by scuffing in one of the
cylinders in our engine. …swift
action has prevented total failure.
Shell ANALEXAlert is a very good
monitoring device.”
Andrew Field,
Chief Engineer, MV Maersk Seville

2. MV Maersk Seville is an 8500 TEU container vessel managed by Reederei Blue
Star GmbH, a ship operator based out of Hamburg, Germany. The vessel, which
regularly operates between Europe and the Far East, had experienced several
scuffing incidents in the last few years. Some of these incidents resulted in severe
and expensive liner damage.
Through regular sample taking, onboard analysis and interpretation of the
results, a new scuffing incident was detected in March 2010, at a very
early stage. This was not yet noticeable on the installed liner temperature
measurement device.
Lubrication Experts from Shell Marine Products conducted several scavenge port
inspections and recommended:
n the installation of cylinder drain oil sampling cocks.
n the introduction of a structured cylinder drain oil monitoring programme.
n the daily use of Shell ANALEXAlert, an easy-to-use portable monitoring device
which delivers reliable iron content measurement results within seconds.
Early detection allowed the Chief Engineer to implement immediate corrective
action while at sea. While piston rings had to be renewed, the piston liners
were saved, resulting in an estimated cost saving of US$50,000. Furthermore,
early detection helped the vessel to avoid major downtime and additional
operational costs.
Easy measurement and early warning of
machine wear in ships
Shell ANALEXAlert, an innovative early warning
detection solution, provides users with a portable,
accurate and reliable ferrous debris measurement in oil
and grease lubricants. Easily adaptable, it can be used
to monitor most onboard machinery.
Performance features and benefits of
Shell ANALEXAlert
Easy to Use
n Robust design
n fast and accurate measurement
n portable testing kit
n maintenance-free analyser
Helps to monitor equipment health
n Early detection of abnormal wear
n helps avoid downtime
n detects ferrous wear rapidly and reliably
1 The Challenge
4 The VALUE
Cost-saving
n Allows pre-emptive action to be taken:
n helps avoid engine or equipment breakdown
n helps minimize risk of major damage to machinery
n helps optimize the consumption of main engine
cylinder oil
Used alongside a structured monitoring
programme, Shell ANALEXAlert has
the ability to provide early detection of
wear in machines through the accurate
measurement of ferrous debris level in oil
and greases.
Shell ANALEXAlert
Scuffing marks
Normal condition
2 The SOLUTION
3 The OUTCOME
4th ring