TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Published 2026-03-22
When a ship sails on the sea, it depends entirely on the steering gear control system to determine the direction. But many people’s understanding of this system is still as simple as “turning the rudder”. In fact, from the sensor capturing the command, to the hydraulic system pushing the rudder blades, to the feedback signal forming a closed loop, if you are not careful in the entire process, the ship may deviate, lose control, or even cause a catastrophe. Today we are going to talk about how to choose and use the steering gear control system to make the boat truly "obedient".
In actual use, the most troublesome things are slow response of theservo, rudder running, oil leakage, or even sudden failure. This is often not a problem with a single component, but rather a mismatch of the entire control system. For example, if the sensor accuracy is not enough, the hydraulic system pressure is unstable, or the control algorithm is too backward, it may cause the rudder blade to fail to reach the specified angle. Many times, shipowners only focus on the steering gear itself, but ignore the overall coordination of the control system. The result is constant minor problems and costly overhauls.
The easiest way to judge whether a steering gear control system is good or not is to see if it hasclosed-loop control. Closed-loop control means that after the steering gear is turned to the designated position, the system can automatically detect and correct the deviation, instead of just "roughly aligning". You can ask the manufacturer to provide a dynamic response curve to see how many seconds it takes from issuing a command to when the rudder blades are in place. The shorter the response time, the more sensitive the system. In addition, it is necessary to ask whether the control system hasa redundant design, that is, if the main controller is broken, whether the backup can be installed immediately. This is crucial during the critical navigation stage.
When choosing a system, you must not just focus on price, but also keep an eye on three core points. One is the sensor, which is as important as the eyes of the system. When choosing an angle sensor, be sure to choose an industrial-grade type with self-diagnostic function, and its accuracy must be at least 0.1 degrees. The second is the hydraulic control valve group, which is like the muscle of the system. Proportional valves orservovalves with stable flow and strong anti-pollution ability should be selected, otherwise it is easy to get stuck. The third is the control algorithm, which is equivalent to the brain of the system. The excellent algorithm can automatically adjust the rudder speed according to the ship speed and sea conditions, thereby avoiding violent swings in bad sea conditions. As long as these three points are firmly grasped, the system will generally be stable and reliable.
In addition, when considering the system, you cannot just focus on the price. The key is to grasp the three core elements. The first is the sensor, which is like the eye to the system. The angle sensor needs to be industrial grade and have self-diagnosis function, with an accuracy of at least 0.1 degrees. The second is the hydraulic control valve group, which is the power support of the system. It is necessary to choose a proportional valve orservovalve with stable flow and strong anti-pollution ability, otherwise it is easy to cause stuck problems. Finally, there is the control algorithm, which is the core of systems thinking. A good algorithm can automatically adjust the rudder speed according to the ship speed and sea conditions to prevent violent swings in bad sea conditions. Once these three points are mastered, the system will be basically stable.
Many faults are actually hidden dangers buried during the installation and debugging stage. For example, if the hydraulic pipeline is not cleaned cleanly, the remaining iron filings and welding slag directly enter the valve group, causing the valve core to wear or become stuck. There are also irregular wiring, signal lines and power lines are not separated, and electromagnetic interference causes sensor readings to jump randomly. After the installation is completed,practical simulation testingmust be done. You cannot just try it out at the dock without load. Use a simulated load to let the system run continuously for several hours under conditions close to real working conditions to observe whether the temperature, pressure and response speed are stable.
After the system is put into use, the importance of routine maintenance is self-evident. First of all, pay close attention to the cleanliness of the oil. The steering gear hydraulic oil needs to be regularly sampled and tested. Once the cleanliness fails to reach NAS level 8 or above, the service life of the system will be greatly affected. Secondly, we need to pay special attention to the electrical interface. We need to regularly check whether the wiring terminals are loose or oxidized, and also check whether the desiccant in the control cabinet has failed, because moisture is the biggest threat to the circuit board. Finally, always pay attention to the alarm records. Today's control systems all have fault logs. You must not wait until the alarm light comes on before checking. You should carefully check the logs every week to detect abnormal trends in advance. This is much less troublesome than repairing the equipment after it is damaged.
In addition, there are some points that need to be emphasized for the daily maintenance of the system. For example, when paying attention to oil cleanliness, in addition to regular sampling and testing, detailed oil cleanliness files should also be established to record the results of each test in order to analyze the changes in oil cleanliness. In terms of electrical interface maintenance, in addition to checking the terminal blocks and desiccant, you can also use professional electrical testing tools to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the electrical circuits to ensure the stability of the electrical system. For viewing alarm records, you should not only check them once a week, but also flexibly adjust the viewing frequency according to the operating conditions of the equipment. For some key equipment or equipment that is running unstable, you should increase the number of viewings to discover potential problems in a timely manner and ensure the normal operation of the system.
If there is a problem with the system, don’t panic, just follow the order of “outside first, then inside, soft first, then hard”. First confirm whether it is a human error, such as the control mode being mistakenly switched to local. Then use your eyes, ears, and hands to check whether there is any oil leakage in the pipeline, whether there is any abnormal noise in the valve group, and whether the motor temperature is abnormal. If no problem is visible externally, enter the system again to check the fault code. Most modern control systems have self-diagnostic functions, which can directly indicate which stage of valve or sensor has a problem. Write down the fault code and contact the manufacturer's technical support. They can help you determine the problem directly.
If you want the steering gear control system to be used for ten or eight years without major problems, the key isto establish a preventive maintenance planinstead of waiting for it to be broken and then repair it. It is recommended to check the zero point drift of the sensor every three months, replace the oil return filter element every six months, and perform internal cleaning and terminal tightening of the control cabinet once a year. These operations may seem inconspicuous, but they can avoid more than 80% of sudden failures. In addition, be sure to keep a backup of the original parameters of the system, because after the controller is replaced or upgraded, the parameters need to be re-imported. If they are lost, the entire system must be recalibrated, which is very troublesome.
After reading this, are you sure about the steering gear control system you are using or planning to purchase? You might as well open the control cabinet now and take a look. When was the last time preventive maintenance was done?
Update Time：2026-03-22
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