Maritime safety has always been a top priority for fleet operators. With the growing scale and complexity of shipping vessels, early detection of anomalies is not just a safety measure—it’s a critical operational advantage. One of the most overlooked but potent tools in this safety arsenal is thermal profiling, and ShipIn’s FleetVision™ is at the forefront of making it actionable.
Understanding Thermal Profiling in Maritime Operations
Thermal profiling refers to the continuous monitoring and analysis of surface temperatures across equipment and spaces. By capturing heat patterns, this method enables early detection of abnormal temperature rises, which are often precursors to mechanical failures or fire hazards.
In the confined, complex engine rooms of modern vessels—where heat is abundant and equipment operates under high stress—thermal profiling provides a non-invasive and highly reliable layer of protection.
Key Capabilities of FleetVision’s™ Thermal Profiling:
- Continuous Monitoring: Keeps a constant eye on surface temperatures ensuring anomalies are spotted in real time.
- Early Fire Detection: The system flags hotspots before they reach dangerous thresholds, acting as an early warning mechanism.
- Predictive Maintenance: By identifying gradual temperature build-up, FleetVision™ can signal when maintenance is needed—reducing unplanned downtime and equipment damage.
- Pattern Recognition and Outlier Detection: Advanced algorithms learn typical thermal signatures and detect deviations, even subtle ones that might go unnoticed by manual inspections.
Why 220°C Is a Critical Threshold
FleetVision™, an AI-based CCTV system, is the industry’s latest leap forward in proactive safety. Surface temperatures exceeding 220°C are widely recognized as dangerous in maritime engineering environments. At or above this threshold:
- Flammable vapors can auto-ignite on contact.
- Thermal degradation of insulation and wiring may occur.
- Metal surfaces may cause severe burns and increase the risk of secondary hazards.
FleetVision™ is calibrated to flag and alert crew when temperatures exceed 180°C, well before temperatures reach a critical point. This gives crews time to act and avoid escalation.
Main Engine Fires: A Persistent Threat
The engine room contains machinery operating at high pressures and temperatures. It’s no surprise that it is one of the most frequent sources of onboard fires. Contributing factors include:
- Oil mist or leaks onto hot surfaces
- Electrical faults in generators or control panels
- Overheating machinery due to poor lubrication or cooling
- Poor housekeeping and insulation degradation
Once a fire starts in such a critical zone, the risk to cargo, crew, and the vessel itself becomes severe. Quick detection is vital—but so is prevention.
How FleetVision™ Helps Prevent Main Engine Fires
1. Detecting Overheating Before It Becomes Dangerous
FleetVision’s™ thermal imaging sensors constantly scan equipment, bulkheads, and walkways. If a component begins to overheat, the system detects the deviation from baseline temperatures immediately. Alerts are sent to relevant personnel—either onboard or onshore—so action can be taken before failure occurs.
2. Highlighting Infrequently Visited Areas
Some compartments, such as behind paneling or under deck plates, aren’t part of routine visual inspection. With thermal profiling, even these hidden hotspots can be monitored in real time, reducing blind spots.
3. Reducing False Alarms with Smart Recognition
Through machine learning and data analytics, FleetVision™ builds a thermal fingerprint of each vessel’s normal operating state. This allows it to filter out typical heat signatures from genuinely concerning anomalies—drastically reducing false alarms and increasing crew trust in the alerts.
4. Data-Driven Maintenance Scheduling
Rather than relying on fixed inspection intervals, thermal data lets operators predict when a component is approaching failure, enabling just-in-time maintenance. This enhances uptime and reduces the risk of catastrophic failures that lead to fires.
A Step Ahead in Maritime Safety
Incorporating thermal profiling into ship operations marks a shift from reactive firefighting to proactive fire prevention. It transforms data into action—empowering shipping companies to protect lives, assets, and the environment.
With FleetVision™, ShipIn doesn’t just provide cameras; it delivers a comprehensive intelligence layer that sees, understands, and acts. By making thermal anomalies visible and actionable, it gives fleets a critical head start in preventing main engine fires and elevating vessel safety standards globally.
ShipIn Systems has been shortlisted for the 2025 SAFETY4SEA Technology Award, which recognizes breakthrough contributions to maritime safety and innovation!
