Firm foundations for progress NOSKE-KAESER

Firm Foundations For progress

Hamburg-based NOSKE-KAESER is a leading global provider of innovative system solutions in the air conditioning, ventilation, CBRN protection, refrigeration, fire-fighting and piping sectors. Philip Yorke reports on a company that continues to develop ground-breaking technology that offers significant benefits to many business sectors including the international offshore industry.

The history of the company goes back to the year 1879, when Robert Ferdinand Noske, a young engineer, established his machine workshop in Altona, near Hamburg. Right from the start, Noske made a name for himself as a pioneer in the fields of ventilation and central heating systems and registered numerous patents. The merger with Anton Kaeser’s company in 1979, one of the world’s leading suppliers of air conditioning systems for ships at that time, laid the ground for today’s NOSKE-KAESER GmbH, allowing it to combine the profound know-how and expertise of both companies.

Globally unique systems

Today, NOSKE-KAESER is represented in every major industrialised country in the world. With over 135 years of experience, the company continues to deliver customised cutting-edge systems and a wide range of standard components in the fields of air conditioning, heating and ventilation as well as CBRN protection, refrigeration, firefighting and piping for naval, passenger and merchant ships in addition to offshore platforms. It has been the main supplier to the German Navy for more than 50 years and is one of the few companies worldwide to deliver air conditioning, refrigeration and fire protection systems for offshore platforms from a single source. Many of the NOSKE-KAESER system solutions are globally unique.

The company’s extensive network of subsidiaries and sales partners guarantee a comprehensive 24/7 worldwide service and local customer support at all stages of a project: from customised design, engineering, manufacturing, installation and commissioning to training and documentation as well as maintenance, repair and spare parts delivery. Putting safety first

One of the cutting-edge solutions from this technology leader in the field of offshore platforms is a new ventilation system designed to protect offshore wind turbine foundations from the build-up of explosive gas mixtures that arise through the use of cathodic coatings that protect offshore piles from corrosion through saline sea water.

Several of these revolutionary systems by NOSKE-KAESER are currently in successful long-term trials with a renowned European wind turbine operator.

NOSKE-KAESER has developed the new system in compliance with existing explosion-endangered areas. The low-maintenance ventilation system can easily be installed with an adhesive technology without the need for any welding work. The technology is flexibly adaptable for all pile types such as monopoles or tripods. The reliable monitoring and ventilation with the NOSKE-KAESER technology lowers the Ex-Zone level for those piles from 1 to 2.

Innovation as standard

With its long tradition of innovation, NOSKE-KAESER has recently announced another technological breakthrough: the new CBRN station ‘flex 3600’, which combines all the advantages of the successfully established door-station type SLG and the modular station type SLM.

The new CBRNflex3600 integrates all components of a fullyfledged CBRN system in just one compact station. “Current tests with the prototype prove the reduction of needed space and on-site installation time, increased flexibility, high connectivity to the ship’s systems and, consequently, proving optimisation of costs,” said Jürgen Matthes, CEO of NOSKE-KAESER. The new station is designed

to work under rough ambient conditions, especially in extremely hot and cold regions. The selection of high quality, highly resistant materials with long MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and intelligent service arrangements in the station ensure that NOSKE-KAESER’s state-of-the-art CBRN system is also very low-maintenance.

Proven technology for more efficiency

The naval business is another sector in which NOSKE-KAESER has developed a strong position, providing proven and efficient technology for a large number of naval ships around the globe. Recently, Marine Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of NOSKE-KAESER GmbH, has secured a major order to modernise the air-conditioning and cooling systems on eight frigates belonging to the Royal Australian Navy. The company will be carrying out a comprehensive overhaul of the air-conditioning, ventilation and cooling systems, as well as replacing components and upgrading existing technology with more efficient modern systems.

Jürgen Matthes said: “We were the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the ten ANZAC class frigates built by Blohm + Voss in the 1990s. In 2008 we began to work with our colleagues from Australia and New Zealand to prepare a solution to upgrade the frigates, in order to extend their serviceable life for a further 20 years.”

“We won the upgrade for the two New Zealand ANZAC frigates after our successful conversion of them as an earlier Australian project. We delivered new chilled water units, new switchboards, a new provision cooling plant and fan coils as well as air-handling units, including the delivery of supervision and commissioning of the same.” NOSKEKAESER has had a lifetime of experience in the supervision and commissioning of Navy Ships, and for their protective tropicalisation.

“We can provide an excellent global service because we decided to locate our own subsidiaries around the world. We work closely with our dedicated service suppliers to achieve the best possible outcomes,” continued Matthes. “One of the major assets of our company are our skilled employees who guarantee the high quality of our services and products. We will continue investing in our staff and their development, making sure they have a great future at NOSKE-KAESER.”

Comprehensive facilities

At its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, NOSKE-KAESER operates a production area of more than 2200 square metres and a warehouse of a similar size. The company’s own testing facility extends to over 350 square metres. This combination makes it possible for NOSKE-KAESER to produce all possible products for all types of Navy surface vessels, submarines and special ships, in-house. Moreover, up to 35,000 spare parts are permanently available at the head office and can be delivered worldwide at short notice. n

For further details of NOSKE-KAESER’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.noske-kaeser.com