Quality boost for the Anschütz Standard 22 NX
Anschütz is known for producing reliable and highly accurate gyrocompasses. The current Standard 22 (NX) family has sold over 25,000 units – more than any other gyrocompass – thanks to its excellent price/performance ratio over its lifecycle due to its high quality.
In mechanical gyrocompasses, the gyrospheres need to be replaced from time to time, which impacts lifecycle costs. As part of an innovation workshop, Anschütz explored ways to sustainably improve the service life, quality and performance of the Standard 22 NX gyrospheres. The first results have now been achieved.
Average service life of five years
“The average service life of Standard 22 NX gyrospheres is currently an impressive five years”, said Philip Kankelfitz, Sales Manager at Anschütz. “We also regularly receive gyrospheres in Kiel for reconditioning after seven or more years. Our aim was to influence the factors affecting the service life of our gyrospheres and to extend it even further. In the process, we were also able to identify and eliminate minor weaknesses that had negatively impacted gyrosphere longevity in the past.”
Over several months, experts at Anschütz conducted detailed analyses and evaluations of various gyrospheres, examining heading accuracy, as well as the type and condition of the materials and the raceways of the ball bearings. The results were correlated with field experience and categorised into positive and negative factors affecting the quality and durability of the gyrospheres.
Using the knowledge gained, possible starting points for optimising the Standard 22 NX gyrospheres were identified and qualified through further investigations.
New ball bearing grease and ultrasonic cleaning baths for maximum cleanliness
“Ball-bearing grease, for example, is a real lever, as the raceways have shown us”, said Laif Carstensen, Production Manager at Anschütz. “We started there and worked with an external specialist to develop and introduce an optimised grease that is even cleaner and significantly longer-lasting.”
The grease plays a critical role in the high-quality ball bearings, which rotate at several thousand revolutions per minute. If the lubricating film breaks down, the bearing can suffer damage. The quality and durability of the grease are therefore key to preventing wear and extending gyrosphere life.
“The components of the gyrocompass are highly sensitive, manufactured with extreme precision down to a quarter of a micron”, explained Carstensen. “To effectively remove even the smallest impurities, we have purchased an additional state-of-the-art ultrasonic cleaning bath for the critical parts in the gyrosphere. As part of the recent modernisation of compass production, we have also significantly reduced potential sources of contamination.”
Initial results show improved quality in new gyrospheres
The innovations and refinements in the manufacturing process have already led to a significantly improved first-pass yield in the first production batches at the factory.
Further measures are currently being implemented or planned. For example, Anschütz is currently testing and establishing innovative acoustic measurement techniques to detect conspicuous structure-borne sounds in ball bearings at an early stage and remove any affected gyrospheres from the production line.
Future-ready compass production
Compass production at Anschütz is a highly complex process requiring extreme precision, meticulous care and, to a large extent, skilled manual craftmanship. The result is a product that has set the standard in the marine gyrocompass market in terms of precision, robustness and durability for nearly two decades.
In recent months, Anschütz has extensively redesigned, rebuilt and expanded its compass production facility. This has created the foundation for sustainable, high-quality manufacturing in Kiel. Significant investments have been made in new machinery and additional personnel, alongside adapting structures and processes. In addition to the increase in output, additional test stations and test equipment, such as compass swings, have been created to thoroughly test each gyrocompass and gyrosphere before it leaves production.
Beyond producing gyrocompasses for newbuild and upgrade projects, the demand for high-quality replacement gyrospheres for the global fleet continues to drive production. At Anschütz, used spheres are inspected, cleaned and reconditioned with replacement of worn parts. These reconditioned gyrospheres are returned to ships with full functionality, precision and quality.
(Note: The delivery of high-quality reconditioned gyrospheres requires careful and complex reconditioning, which can only be guaranteed with original Anschütz components).
