Maintenance and spare part logistics often determine the life cycle costs related to the usage phase of assets. Therefore, different maintenance strategies are known from literature and adopted by enterprises in order to cut these costs. Most often these strategies face problems due to uncertainties in processes and tasks. This paper suggests an adjusted preactive maintenance concept which implements autonomous control aspects in order to plan and control personnel, equipment, resources, etc. ad hoc and without hierarchical planning instances. In doing so, different well known strategies will be kept equitable within the concept but are replenished with an overall heterachical organized planning and controlling approach. As a result, maintenance objects themselves gain the opportunity to trigger maintenance measures, no matter whether it's a case of inspection, maintenance or repair, according to their particular requirements. The paper gives a valuable insight into an effective concept of how to handle the complex situation for the operational maintenance processes as well as related spare part logistics in general and illustrates first concrete approaches

Offshore wind energy is experiencing rapid development and is expected to make up an even bigger part of the world's future energy mix. New installation concepts for offshore wind farms involve lifting operations of wind turbine components from floating vessels. These installation concepts will only be economic if the lifting operations are performed safely at sea states with high significant wave heights. In this paper, we give an overview of current technical solutions, which could be used to lift the components tower, nacelle, hub, and rotor blade from a floating vessel. We classify and analyze solutions found in patents and the academic literature and point out open problems, which need to be addressed to enable lifting operations at higher sea states than what is currently feasible. However, we restrict the paper to technical solutions concerning the interface between the vessel and the component as well as the interface between the component and the crane. Consequently, we analyze, classify, and discuss solutions for the seafastening, the lifting gear as well as motion compensation systems. We find that there exists a large number of solutions, which are specific for a single component, but few solutions, which are applicable to all components without major adaptations. Additionally, we miss hydraulic seafastening mechanisms, which are remotely controlled and synchronized with the lifting operation. Consequently, we argue that versatile interfaces between the component and the crane as well as remotely controlled and synchronized seafastening mechanisms are best suited to enhance the lifting process.

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the installation of offshore wind turbines. The rules for installation set clear limits. These limits are usually based on estimations of various experts and not on real assumptions and measurements on-site. When wind speeds and wave heights are too high, work cannot be carried out, and this leads to delays and additional costs. Therefore, we have carried out a measurement campaign during the installation of rotor blades to investigate to which extent the limits can be adjusted by using a tuned mass damper. The results from the measurement campaign—specifically empirically derived significant wave height limits—are used in a discrete event simulation. This study simulates delays resulting from weather conditions. Based on this, the total installation costs are considered. The results of the measurement campaign show that a safe installation with the use of a damper is possible at wave heights of up to 1.6 m. With the discrete event simulation, it is possible to prove that 17.9% can be saved for the costs of the installation vessel. In addition, the wind farm could be erected 32 days faster. Thus, it can be stated that the use of a tuned mass damper simplifies the installation from a technical point of view and is economical.

This study investigates the impact of digital transformation on a Brazilian post-harvest engineering company. The manuscript examines how digital technologies impact performance and competitive advantages, providing actionable insights for practitioners. The methodology is a twofold case study. First, it describes the company’s technology development process, examining the journey from initial implementations to its current state over the past ten years. Then, it focuses on the recommendations for future advancements, provided by a leading technology research institute located in Germany. Data collection involved observation, interviews (personnel, clients, experts), document analysis, and facility tours. The findings include qualitative (grain quality, agility) and quantitative impacts (EBITDA increase, 84% storage efficiency). Barriers included mechanical adaptation and costs. Opportunities related by BIBA include advanced technologies (such as AI and digital twins), aligning with a proposed six-level digital maturity model for post-harvest systems. Regarding practical implications, the findings emphasize the need for a strategic vision for digital technology adoption in the post-harvest industry, which is crucial for addressing labor shortages, reducing losses, and promoting sustainability, with potential annual gains of $700 million. The main novelty introduced by this study is a novel, empirically derived six-level digital maturity model. It provides comprehensive qualitative/quantitative impact analysis, highlighting advanced technologies for industry challenges.