In Dewesoft’s crew transfer vessel case study, researcher Casper Aaskov Drangsfeldt describes a monitoring campaign on a catamaran serving offshore wind operations. The project sought data across changing operating and environmental conditions to support gearbox health monitoring research.
The Measurement Approach
Two gearboxes in one hull with triaxial accelerometers, thermocouples and a DS-GYRO1 inertial measurement unit recorded vessel movement, while a DEWE-43A acquisition system collected the gearbox measurements.
DewesoftX software triggered recording from measured acceleration. A laptop, external storage and uninterruptible power supply supported onboard acquisition.
What The Campaign Established
At publication in July 2025, the campaign had run for approximately ten months. It produced operating data for further research, while also exposing interruptions from computer and connection problems and damage during maintenance. It did not establish a quantified reduction in failures or downtime. You can read Dewesoft’s full in-depth article and findings here.
Choosing the Acquisition Hardware
For teams considering a similar measurement brief, the current DEWE-43A specifications describe eight analogue inputs, eight digital/counter/encoder inputs and two CAN interfaces. Voltage and full bridge signals are accepted natively. Other sensor types, including IEPE and thermocouples, require appropriate DSI adapters.
That distinction matters when requesting a quotation. Provide the sensor models as well as the number of channels, and ask for the required conditioning, excitation and connections to be included. An acquisition unit’s channel count alone does not establish that it can accept the sensors you intend to use.
Applying the Lesson in Australia and New Zealand
For a local marine monitoring project, start by deciding what decision the measurements must support. Are you investigating a current vibration concern, establishing a reference for future comparison, or collecting data for a research programme? Set the recording plan around that purpose.
Include installation and data checks in the brief. Who will confirm that recording is still running? How will maintenance staff recognise and protect the instrumentation? What is the operating information kept alongside the measurements? Answering these questions before installation gives the collected data a clearer purpose and makes gaps easier to investigate.
Contact Metromatics to discuss your gearbox measurements, sensor requirements and intended recording period. These details provide a practical starting point for selecting a Dewesoft acquisition configuration.