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ROLLS-ROYCE OY ABAQUAPILOT ND CONTROL LEVER FOR AZIMUTH THRUSTERSDesign: Davor Spoljaricn / Design Davor Spoljaric, Markku Virtanen / Rolls-Royce Oy Ab 2005–2007, in production 2008– (Product Design Series) Control levers for azimuth thrusters are used for steering vessels such as ice-breakers and passenger ships. They control speed and direction, affecting all the power necessary for moving the ship. Ergonomic properties are important – the levers are in continuous use in narrow passages. This Finnish invention is patented. Azimuth propellers, which can be used for steering ships, are a Finnish invention dating from the 1960s. They are used, for example, in tugboats, ice breakers and passenger ships, making it necessary to resort to tugs only in exceptional situations. The Aquapilot control levers, also a patented Finnish innovation, have been designed for use with propellers of this kind. There are always two control levers, used for regulating speed and steering the vessel. In other words, they serve as both the ship’s wheel and throttle. Accordingly, it is important for the movements of the vessel to be relayed realistically through the levers, which must have a firm feel to them. Product development for the control levers was a long-term cooperative project requiring the participation of several partners. Sufficient precision in the design and manufacturing of the levers was available only in Germany, as an example. From the outset, the work involved the participation of users – ship’s officers – and the designers also had the opportunity to test the controls in practice. Ergonomic properties are important; in narrow channels and fairways the control levers are in continuous use. The user’s hand can rest on the lever, which can also be extended with additional parts if necessary. As a result, the lever, which is used all over the world, fits the hands of small Asian mariners and their large Scandinavian counterparts alike. The material is plastic with a warm feel and the colour is the familiar dark grey of Rolls Royce navigation equipment. Rolls-Royce Oy Ab Suojantie 5, 26100 Rauma Tel. +358 (0)2 83791 www.rolls-royce.com |
