The Lilley & Gillie Technical Centre enables the Charente Group to design, test and produce navigational equipment that fully meets, or exceeds, the expectations of SOLAS regulations.
To achieve this required three things: a talented and experienced team of engineers, scientists and designers; an in-house facility to design and produce prototypes; and the ability to fully test prototypes and production equipment to ensure it meets or exceeds SOLAS expectations.
The definitions of radio and navigation equipment, contained within SOLAS, the international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, as adopted by the International Maritime organization (IMO), led to the formulation and adoption of EN 60945. This lays down the "General requirements for maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems, methods of testing and required test results". Other resolutions, adopted by the IMO, led to the introduction of performance standards. These too have to be met, as appropriate to the type of equipment concerned. For example, speed and distance measuring equipment must meet the requirements of BS EN 61023, which specifies performance requirements, methods of testing and required test results. The latest edition of this standard also added a requirement for a serial interface, so that speed and distance data was readily available for transmission to other suitable shipboard equipment. Type Approval certification of specified equipment is also necessary before such equipment or systems can be marketed within the European Community. The Marine Equipment Directive (MED) covers all such equipment and lists all applicable standards to which such equipment must conform.
EN 60945 specifies that that all maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment must be able to withstand the specified limits of theses environmental tests:
Stated classes of equipment must also conform in respect of specified conducted and radiated electromagnetic emissions, and be immune to electromagnetic environments, remaining operational even when subjected to specified conducted radio frequency disturbance, radiated disturbance, transients, power supply short variation and failure, and electrostatic discharge.
The Lilley & Gillie paradigm is one of continuous development through innovation over almost two centuries. Its axiom of quality and reliability is widely acknowledged. The Technical Centre continues to move forward through design innovation, implementation, harmonised adaptation and multi discipline integration.
A range of special purpose tests can include acoustic noise and signals and compass safe distance.
Equipment must also meet necessary levels of safety, protecting against accidental access to dangerous voltages, meet limits on electromagnetic radio frequency radiation and on emissions from visual display units, as appropriate.
David Edwards, design and development director, said:
EN 60945 sets clearly defined standards for marine navigational equipment, which must be capable of withstanding the most severe conditions that will be found across the world's oceans. Our design approach is to take the very best proven industrial components and make them seaworthy. Our team consists of 'real world' designers, used to developing products that work in the real world.
We quickly realised that, although there are many test houses across Europe, all of which could be capable of undertaking maritime testing, none of them are dedicated marine facilities, and using these test houses would inevitably involve lengthy set-up times and costs.
The quantity of marine testing that we were proposing would quickly justify an investment in dedicated facilities.
By having such facilities in-house, the time taken to undertake a full compliance test for a piece of equipment can be dramatically reduced.