Finning expands marine maintenance platform

Finning UK & Ireland is expanding the use of its VisionLink digital maintenance platform across the marine sector, helping fleet operators manage engine maintenance, inspections and fluid analysis through a single system.

The company has added around 200 marine assets to VisionLink, including 120 assets for one customer. The platform, already widely used in construction, power and equipment sectors, provides visibility of asset health, utilisation and maintenance requirements.

“We are rolling out VisionLink in the marine sector to support fleet management and maintenance planning, giving customers better visibility of their engines and the work that needs to be carried out,” said Becky Wallis, digital applications lead at Finning UK & Ireland.

The rollout comes as operators face increasing pressure to maintain vessel availability and extend the working lives of ageing fleets. According to UN Trade and Development, the global fleet averaged 22.4 years by vessel count at the start of 2024, with more than half of vessels aged over 15 years.

For connected vessels, VisionLink can provide information including location, engine hours and fault codes. Depending on the engine and configuration, operators can also monitor parameters such as fluid levels, coolant temperature and oil temperature.

The system can also be used without telematics connectivity. Customers can add service intervals, parts lists and inspection checklists, while reviewing maintenance histories and results from oil, coolant and fuel sample analysis.

“Marine customers often have information sitting in different places, from oil sample results and inspection reports to service schedules and maintenance records,” Wallis said. “VisionLink allows us to bring that together, so customers can see what Finning sees and have more control over how they manage maintenance and intervention points.”

Operators can receive notifications when maintenance is due, inspections identify amber or red issues, or fluid analysis indicates that action is required.

Wallis said the aim was to support planned maintenance around vessel operating hours and availability. The latest version of VisionLink was launched in 2023, with the platform now in its third iteration.