Conference Schedule Announced for WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo - Commercial Vessel Maintenance and Repair Show Set for New Orleans April 14-16, 2015

    NEW ORLEANS, LA, March 03, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With a comprehensive schedule in three dynamic tracts, the inaugural WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo conference program can be customized to address the specific needs of those responsible for handling vessel maintenance and repair.

"This brand new event will deliver solutions specifically for professionals involved in commercial vessel maintenance and repair," said Bob Callahan, show director, Diversified Communications, which also produces the award winning International WorkBoat Show.

The Expo will be held April 14-16, 2015, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. To register, visit www.WorkBoatMaintenanceandRepair.com.

Callahan said the Expo's Conference Day on Tuesday, April 14, will offer three in-depth programming tracts: Structure and Hull, Power and Propulsion and Regulations. Diversified announced the following schedule of key conference sessions:

Structure & Hull
The best engineers, builders, and fixers all share a common belief: something good - and even something great - can always be better. This series brings that search for better solutions to the area of structure and hull maintenance. Learn strategies to optimize the quality of your welding, paint application, corrosion prevention, and more. Because there's always room to improve.

9:45 am-10:30 am - Custom Weld Techniques
Shipyard welding is a lot more challenging than other industrial welding and requires continued innovation. Join in the discussion as professionals from welding schools, manufacturers and shipyards share the latest in custom weld techniques and equipment that will help to increase efficiency and decrease downtime.

10:45 am -11:30 am - Physical Asset Management Strategy
An industry study discovered that 84% of equipment failures were caused by the way that equipment was designed, installed, operated and maintained -- human induced defects. Only 12% of defects were due to wear and tear and 4% of defects were specifically due to age, according to the study. Preventive, predictive and precision maintenance each has an impact on maintenance costs per operating hour, availability for operations and reliability. Many vessel operators could drive down costs, improve availability, safety and customer satisfaction if they would employ proactive reliability tools in defining their physical asset management strategy. This session provides some insight into using a set of tools in a cost effective way to achieve better equipment performance and lower total costs.

1:00 pm -1:45 pm - Quality Paint Applications Through the Use of Standards
This presentation will focus on how specifying industry standards for surface preparation, coating application and quality control inspection vastly improves the quality of the application while minimizing the risk of premature coating failure. These consensus-based industry standards support the vessel owner's goal of obtaining and, in many cases, exceeding the expected service life of the protective coating. The discussion will walk the audience through a paint project explaining what consensus-based standards should be specified and test practices followed at specific hold points during surface preparation, coating application and coating cure to assure the completion of a quality paint project.

2:00 pm -2:45 pm - Understanding Corrosion
In the arena of marine corrosion there are evolving standards that professionals need to stay abreast of. This session will help attendees understand the various types of corrosion, identify the causes of corrosion failures, choose the right materials for uses in marine environments, as well as select and use the proper protection methods against marine corrosion.

Power & Propulsion
The technology that powers U.S. commercial fleets is always changing, which presents unique challenges to the crews that are in charge of maintaining vessel power and fuel systems. Join WorkBoat and the leaders in fuel and propulsion technology as we discuss the most effective ways to prevent equipment failure and maintain a reliable, high-powered, high-tech fleet.

9:45 am -10:30 am - Improve Your Bottom Line through Condition Monitoring
Millions of dollars are invested every year into vessel maintenance programs with the goal of preventing costly and sometimes catastrophic downtime. Condition monitoring by vibration analysis and, most recently, online monitoring systems, popular in the oil and gas industry, has proven to be a vital component of successful and cost efficient maintenance programs. This presentation will provide an introduction to condition monitoring, vibration analysis and online monitoring systems, and showcase the attractive benefits that come along with these technologies. Case studies, methods, modeling, trending, and application will be discussed to provide a real-world look at condition monitoring in action.

10:45 am -11:30 am -Dual Fuel Systems
The classification society DNV predicts that 50% of new OSVs will burn LNG by 2020, with 10% of the world's fleet dual fueled by 2016. This coming surge of liquefied natural gas (LNG) use has prompted many in the industry to develop dual-fuel-class vessels. The cost of outfitting a vessel for LNG-diesel operation is high. Essentially, redundant systems with tankage and piping are required, which drives costs higher. Also, bunkering a cryogenic liquid for storage at -260 degree F requires careful design and planning. Then there is the loss of cargo capacity below deck. Some say that a 300' dual-fuel vessel has the below-deck capacity of a 250' OSV due to the larger storage requirements for LNG. For all of these reasons and more, dual fuel vessels present a challenge to those responsible for the maintenance and repair of these vessels. For those responsible for maintaining and repairing these vessels, this presentation will highlight the challenges and solutions they face.

1:00 pm -1:45 pm - Vibration Monitoring
This presentation will complement the Condition Monitoring session by exploring in greater detail how vibration monitoring can help lower your costs per maintenance hour and help prevent equipment failure. We'll look at systems in general; specific products on the market; and how vessel operators are implementing the practice with success.

2:00 pm - 2:45 pm Using Technology to Lower Maintenance Costs and Decrease Downtime and Repair Costs
Join Leslie Bell from Caterpillar who will discuss how technology products and connected services can help marine customers lower operation and maintenance costs, increase productivity, avoid downtime and costly repairs, adhere to increasing regulatory requirements, and work more safely.

Regulatory
Technology is not the only thing that has a big affect on a company. So does government regulation. EPA Tier IV, Coast Guard Subchapter M, and other new industry rules and regulations mandate fundamental changes in vessel equipment and operations. Fortunately, there's time to plan and prepare. These sessions are designed to bring you up to speed on the regulations you need to know about and how to deal with them in a way that keeps your business moving full steam ahead.

9:45 am -10:30 am - New EPA Tier 4 Regulations
With EPA emissions standards continuing to evolve and become more stringent, depending on the size and power of the engine, it is imperative that everyone who works to maintain and repair a vessel understands how the new standards will apply. With Tier 3 coming online this year, the industry will need to prepare for Tier 4 standards in the next two or three years. Join industry professionals as they explain the requirements and what to expect.

10:45 am -11:30 am - Ensuring Compliance in Spare Part Procurement
Spare part procurement sounds easy -- you need a part and you order it. However, because we live in a global marketplace, you need to consider a number of factors before you place that order. If you don't go directly to the manufacturer, are you sure the part is the proper one? Can you trust the quality? Will the part arrive on time? Does it meet regulations? Attend this session to learn how to ensure that your spare part procurement methods mean that your parts function properly and that they will be delivered in a timely fashion

1:00 pm -1:45 pm - Subchapter M and its Impact on Maintenance
Subchapter M is almost, finally here. The Coast Guard had posted September 2014 on its regulatory agenda for the release of the towing vessel inspection final rule; however the industry still awaits the final release. The rule is a chance to elevate safety in the inland barge industry through the rule's key component -- requiring a Towing Safety Management System. The proposed TSMS requirements say, "Procedures must be in place to ensure safety of property, the environment and personnel." But what procedures must be in place and how will those who maintain the vessels meet these requirements. This session will seek to answer those questions.

2:00 pm -2:45 pm - Regulations for Lubricants
There are many names for EALs (Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants) in the market today and the names are confusing. Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants, Environmentally Friendly Lubricant and Environmentally Considerate Lubricants are all acceptable names. The key factor is the standards set by the EPA not the generic name. The EPA has chosen EALs as the term for the Vessel General Permit. There are pros and cons for each base oil technology. There are also maintenance-related issues that are affected by the EPA VGP record keeping requirements. This session will address some of the findings to ensure the proper materials are being used.

3:30 pm -3:45 pm - Reducing the Cost of Maintenance and Repair through DFM
Owners continue to face the challenges of escalating costs associated with designing, building, operating and maintaining their vessels over their full life cycle. As budgets to support the full life cycle of a vessel are reduced, the owners can no longer afford the inherent costs that are built in by designs that don't consider how the ship will operate and be maintained over its lifetime. This presentation showcases proven DFM methodologies, lessons learned, tools and templates that can be used to cultivate DFM thinking among the design community.

In addition to the Conference, the Expo will offer a highly focused exhibit hall and extensive networking events.

While the larger International WorkBoat Show focuses heavily on new construction, WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair exhibitors will focus exclusively on products that relate to professionals who have vessel repair and maintenance responsibilities. "With fewer, more targeted exhibits, you'll meet the experts that will help you get the job done right, on time and on budget," Callahan said.

Finally, vessel maintenance and repair professionals will be able to connect with experts and peers through a variety of daily networking events, including: coffee breaks, keynote breakfasts and luncheons, and happy hours. "These events are designed to make sure you connect with the right people without relying exclusively on after hours activities," Callahan noted.

Pricing for the WorkBoat Maintenance & Repair Conference and Expo:

All Access Pass
Includes all conference sessions and networking events for April 14-16

Before March 15 $495
March 16-April 13 $545
April 14 and later $595

Expo Only
Includes opening reception on April 14 and all networking events on April 15-16

Before March 15 $50
March 16-April 13 $60
April 14 and later $75

For more information, visit www.WorkBoatMaintenanceandRepair.com.

About WorkBoat
WorkBoat is part of the Diversified Business Communications portfolio of commercial marine events, publications and e-media products. The WorkBoat brand has been connecting qualified buyers with leading suppliers for more than 45 years. In print through WorkBoat magazine, online at WorkBoat.com, face-to-face at the International WorkBoat Show and through education with the Professional Series, WorkBoat delivers high quality information to all segments of the marine industry in North America. For more information, visit www.workboat.com.

About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications, based in Portland, Maine, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, publications and eMedia. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine and business management. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com

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